Dr. Rick Aguila works with teeth for a living as a periodontist with Jacksonville Dental Specialists, but it was his feet that stole the show en route to being named the 2021 First Coast Dancing with the Stars champion.
The St. Johns County resident won the competition Sept. 18 alongside his professional dancing partner Megan Wallace Widrich of Dance Alday in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Aguila was one of nine local stars that were partnered with a dancing pro and took to the dance floor to perform a practiced routine.
First Runners-up were Jeanie Leapley of Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty dancing with pro Jeremy Jose of Monarch Ballroom.
Local celebrity photographer and makeup artist Renee Parenteau and her dancing pro Sean Anthony of Monarch Ballroom were named second runners-up.
Parenteau has been providing formal photographs of the stars and pros pairing at the annual event for years, but this time she was on the dance floor and in the spotlight.
The event raised funds through “votes,” with each star receiving a vote for every $1 they raised.
More than $88,000 was raised leading up to and during the event. The proceeds will support the free programs offered by the Beaches Fine Arts Series, which is entering its 49th season of bringing a wide range of music for free to the community.
Go to www.beachesfinearts.org to learn more about the various upcoming programs scheduled by the Beaches Fine Arts Series.
All nine stars performed on the night in front of an audience of about 300 people at WJCT Studio A in Jacksonville.
They were scored from one to 10 by a panel of three judges that included Donna Deegan, founder of the Donna Foundation, and professional dancers Norianne Wright and DeWitt Cooper III.
The judges’ scores were coupled with the funds raised by each star to determine the winner of the competition. Emcee for the event was jazz singer Akia Uwanda.
The event was supported by numerous local businesses, including eight restaurants who provided a wonderful dinner spread for ticket holders.
The VIP party host was Restaurante Orsay, while the buffet restaurants included Seasons 52, Congaree and Penn, Prati Italia, True Food Kitchen, TacoLu, Pastiche Catering and Dawn to Dusk Catering.
Signature drinks and vodka were provided by Culhane’s Irish Pub, and other liquor was donated by Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits.
Helping the stars and pros look the part on the dance floor was Tan Like a Celebrity and hair and makeup artist Carmen Lombana of Foiled Rotten Salon.
