The answer is “not even in front of a mirror all alone.”
The question?
“Has Chris Thomas ever danced anywhere in his 43-year lifetime?”
“Well, now, technically, I did slow dance with my bride at our wedding,” the local EXP realtor admitted. “I’m sure I was terrible then, too. But that’s all changing now. I’m turning into a regular Fred Astaire.”
That’s because Thomas, a Marshall County resident who often participates in charity events in the Wheeling area, has joined pro dancer Lynsey Yoho to form one of eight pairs for this year’s “Dancing with the Ohio Valley Stars.” The event, scheduled for November 2 at the Capitol Theatre, benefits the Augusta Levy Center in Wheeling.
“After I thought about it and prayed about it, I knew I needed to use my platform to do something for someone else. So, I immediately called Taylor Rys and told her, here I am. I’m in,” Thomas explained. “But trust me, I can’t dance. At all.
“I only slow danced that one time at my wedding,” he said. “But that’s it. I’ve never danced by myself or with anyone else other than my wife that one time. I just don’t dance, but I guess that’s changing now.”
Yoho is an instructor with Take A Bow Dance Centre in Moundsville, and she’s also a member of the Wheeling Miners Dance Team.
“We’ve gone through the routine and the music, and we’ve even made a couple of TikTok videos, and it’s been a lot of fun so far. Lynsey is being very patient, to say the least,” Thomas reported. “I have the best partner because I just do what she tells me to do and try not to hurt myself.
“We don’t know each other very well, but we have figured out that we’re kind of related through marriage,” Thomas said. “We also have found out that we’re both God-centric people with the same values so that makes it easier for me to put my best foot forward every time we practice. We’re having a lot of fun and I’m doing this to win.”
A Miracle Maker
“Transforming Lives through Evidence-Based Autism Intervention”.
That’s how the Augusta Levy Learning Center describes on its website what their therapists and therapies accomplish each day.
The website also states, “At Augusta Levy Learning Center, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is the foundation of our programs, providing researched-based treatment and driving the exceptional progress of our students.”
The spectrums of Autism, a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave, affects about one in every 396 humans, according to the Autism Speaks organization.
“I love everything about Augusta Levy because of the miracle they perform,” Thomas proclaimed. “What those folks do for this community is incredible, so if I can do something to help increase what they do, why wouldn’t I?
“Our community stood up and stepped forward when my family needed their help after our home burned to the ground about two years ago, and we’ll never be able to say thank you enough,” he said. “That’s just one reason why I do what I can to serve this community when I have the chance. So, I guess this time, it’s dancing, and I’m running with it.”
Soon after agreeing to participate in next month’s DWTOVS, Thomas paid a visit to the learning center in Woodsdale.
“All I had to do is spend an hour of my time at Augusta Levy to realize the magic that takes place there. It captivated me to watch how the therapists work with the children, and to see the smiles told me all I needed to know,” the new dancer said. “There’s a lot of superheroes working that takes place there. It’s incredible.
“That’s why we’re selling T-shirts, too. We want to raise as much money as we can, and we’ll figure out other ways to take it further so we can increase our dollar amount,” he said. “And if there are some folks out there that want to sponsor us, all they have to do is contact one of us and we’ll make it happen. It’s all about raising the most we can for a great cause.”
