She doesn’t like to lose.
That is why Olivia Litman will practice, and then practice some more, and it is also why she is grateful to have Walker Holloway as her “pro” in the upcoming Dancing with the Ohio Valley Stars at the Capitol Theatre on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. inside the Capitol Theatre. The annual event, the biggest annual fundraiser for the Augusta Levy Learning Center, was canceled last year because of the pandemic precautions that were mandated by W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice.
There will nine different couples vying for this year’s championship, including Litman and Holloway.
“I have always thought that it would be fun to be Dancing in the Ohio Valley Stars show because when you are at the event, it is a great time,” said Litman, the marketing manager for the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Now, I didn’t think I would want to do it until I did the Lip Sync Challenge and Staci Stephen told me that I was considered for the show but that she was afraid doing both would be too much.
“It probably would have been too much because I am a perfectionist and I either go hard or go home,” she said with a chuckle. “When the show was canceled in 2020 it was upsetting because I was wondering if I would have been asked again, so when I was asked to do it this year, I was really happy because it gives me yet another challenge. I’m goal oriented so this is a new fitness challenge, to be quite honest.”
That’s fine and dandy, but can she dance?
“I can dance. I have been known to cut a rug when I am on the dance floor with my girlfriends, but I have never, ever, ever done ballroom dancing,” Litman admitted. “That’s why my first practice with Walker was very eye opening. Ballroom dancing is very different, and it doesn’t matter if you have all the best dance moves because this is choreographed so it’s been very challenging for me to this point in time.
“I am so happy that Walker is my partner because, to be honest, I didn’t realize how great a dancer he is. He is very talented and he has improved every year,” she said. “He’s a great teacher and thankfully he has lots of patience. I’m sure I’ve been driving him crazy, but he has so much fun with it.”
Making Miracles
The Augusta Levy Learning Center now is located in the Woodsdale neighborhood of Wheeling and is a non-profit organization centered on propelling children on the spectrum of autism to reach their highest potential. According to its website, “The Augusta Levy Learning Center aims to enhance the social, academic, communication and independent living skills of its students.”
The learning center was the very first in West Virginia to initiate intensive autism treatment pioneered and proven by Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas of UCLA and his colleagues.
“Dancing with the Ohio Valley Stars is a tremendous event for a tremendous cause and that means more to me than anything else. What the people at Augusta Levy do for these children is very special,” Litman said. “This is their biggest fundraiser of the year and the fact they lost it last year because of the pandemic forced them to be very innovative with other ways to raise funds.
“This is very exciting, and I would do anything to help the organization because of the miraculous work they do,” she continued. “When I was in school, autism was unheard of, but what you did know was that there was someone in your class who had to learn differently. You also likely knew something who couldn’t go to school because they weren’t able to be in a classroom. But now we know so much more about autism, and that allows the people at Augusta Levy to perform miracles.”
One Special Stage
Dancing with the Ohio Valley Stars was just one of many performances set for the Capitol Theatre in 2020 that were scheduled and then canceled because of Covid-19, and an important part of Litman’s position with the CVB is marketing the booked shows at both the historic venue and Wesbanco Arena.
Not only has life returned to relative “normal” since spring, but a plethora of community-based performances have taken place at both locations.
Litman wishes to win, of course, but her time on the Capitol’s stage is just as important.
“I do like competition and I see the field of competitors as very even,” she insisted. “No matter what happens or who wins, it’s just going to be very exciting to be involved. Plus, I am really happy to be helping to bring back this event to the Capitol Theatre. The theatre was dark for far too long and it’s going to be great to perform there and to see people in the seats.
“The Capitol Theatre truly is in desperate need of support and with people being inside, it goes a long way,” she added. “This community fought for that theatre, but the battle isn’t won yet.”
