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The 21-year-old Winona college student got to dance with the stars as part of the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade. The parade, which was taped in November, will air at 9 a.m. Christmas Day on ABC.
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“It was such a whirlwind,” Devine said. “I probably won’t believe I did it until I see it on TV.”
The program features all the big names from “Dancing with the Stars,” including ’N Sync’s Joey Fatone and Drew Lachey from 98 Degrees as well as professional dancers. Musical performers for the show hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa include Patti LaBelle, Jessica Simpson, Miley Cyrus, Josh Groban and Katharine McPhee.
A Winona native, Devine is a junior at Saint Mary’s University studying to be an English teacher. She started ballet, tap and jazz when she was 2 years old. Last year, she joined Saint Mary’s ballroom dancing club. In the summer, she started taking ballroom lessons at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Rochester, Minn.
“It’s such a challenge because it’s a partnership,” Devine said.
Winston Fine, Devine’s instructor at Fred Astaire, called to invite her and some other dancers from the studio to Florida for the taping. She immediately said yes. Butterflies quickly followed.
Two hundred dancers from around the country were making the trip. While Devine had been dancing for years, she’d only been ballroom dancing for a year or so.
“I worried I was out of my league,” Devine said.
The dancers started learning the routine at 10 a.m. and didn’t get done until 11 p.m. Except for short lunch and dinner breaks, they danced the day away.
As Devine learned the routine, which went from salsa to swing to meringue with Fine as her partner, she became more comfortable.
“We worked on it in pieces,” Devine said. “It was easy.”
The team of Devine and Fine must have impressed someone, as the couple was spotlighted dancing on a platform with “Dancing with the Stars” couple Sabrina Bryan (of Disney’s “The Cheetah Girls”) and professional dancer Mark Ballas.
After the performance, Devine was able to get pictures with the celebrities. Fatone was her favorite.
“He was so funny and full of energy,” Devine said. “He kept the rest of us dancers raring to go.”
The taping was done near the Disney Castle with pyrotechnics going off in the background. Mickey and Minnie were among the dancers.
“They can really shake it,” Devine said.
The dancers were told to keep their faces expressive and stick to the routine. All were told there was no guarantee as to how much TV time they would get.
“Even if I’m not seen on TV, it’s still an experience I’ll never forget.”
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.
