VIDEO: William Capote Prepares For ‘Dancing For the Space Coast’ Set For June 6

ABOVE VIDEO: Dancing For the Space Coast contestant Mayor William Capote was elected mayor of the city of Palm Bay in November 2012. He is the first Latino of Afro-Cuban descent to serve as mayor.

Local Celebrities Ready To Strut Their Stuff For Needy

Dancing With the Space Coast, a unique competition and fundraising event that will benefit three worthy organizations on the Space Coast, will be held at Florida Tech’s Clemente Center on Saturday, June 6.

Dancing With the Space Coast will benefit the Brevard Public Safety Charity, who has earmarked the proceeds this year to be distributed to the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, the Scott Center For Autism and Serene Harbor.

This exciting event will feature 12 Space Coast community and business leaders, including Amy Boyson, Lila Buescher, William Capote, Rich Charbonneau, Dani Clevens, Katie Jacobus, Robert Jordan, Charlie Nash, Jackie Pantello, Susan Vallette, Mason Williams and Milo Zonka.

BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE LINE

Each celebrity dancer will be matched up with a professional dancer as they compete in a ballroom dance – and for bragging rights as the best dancer in Brevard.

On the evening of June 6, each dance pair will compete in a choreographed ballroom dance that will be scored by a panel of judges.

During the show, couples will earn scores based on several technical skill factors, but the judges’ scores alone don’t decide the dancer’s final score.

Leading up to the actual performance, the dancers will have already scored 60 percent of their points through their fundraising endeavors.

DANCER PROFILE: William Capote

Mayor William Capote was elected mayor of the city of Palm Bay in November 2012. He is the first Latino of Afro-Cuban descent to serve as mayor.

Palm Bay is the largest city in Brevard County and is the second-largest city in the Central Florida region with a population of more than 106,000 residents and growing.

Capote is dedicated to showcasing Palm Bay as a destination city full of endless possibilities for emerging technologies, a strong and vibrant economy and a rich environment for families and residents to enjoy.

He believes Palm Bay is one of Florida’s best kept secrets and promises to tell the world the story of why it’s such a hidden gem.

His commitment to the community is evident by countless hours of volunteer service in areas such as the Port Malabar Elementary School PTA, Odyssey Charter School, Meals on Wheels, South Brevard Pop Warner Football Board of Directors, Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Florida American Red Cross and the Boy Scouts of America.

As mayor of Palm Bay he serves on both the Brevard County Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast and the Tourist Development Council. His is also a member of the Florida League of Mayors and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in addition to serving as treasurer for the Space Coast League of Cities.

Capote was first elected to the Palm Bay City Council in 2008. During his first year as mayor progress towards a more vibrant economy began to be realized.

In 2012 the city began construction of the new Palm Bay Parkway which when completed in 2014 will open up an entire new region of northwest Palm Bay to residential and commercial development.

The world famous Bass Pro Shops also opened a new store in the area it likes to call the “bass fishing capital of the world.”

Growth also came with new businesses moving their headquarters to Palm Bay such as I.O. Inc., D.R. Horton, and the Space Coast Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

New research and development is underway with the Florida Institute of Technology Research Center and most notable is the Harris Corporation’s $100-million investment in building its new Technology Center that will bring more than 150 new jobs to the area.

Capote embraces many causes, but one very near and dear to his heart began when he met an 11-year-old girl named Acacia who single-handedly championed the cause of anti-bullying by promoting friendship instead.

Acacia, with help from her mom, founded Tiny Girl Big Dream Inc., and her mission is to put a “friendship bench” in every school across America starting with Palm Bay. Capote used the annual Mayor’s Ball to raise awareness and more than $17,000 for the cause.

Capote was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba and fled the country with his parents and two siblings in 1970 during the “Flights of Liberty.”

The family arrived in Miami, but after a week they migrated to Hoboken, New Jersey where his parents still reside. Capote earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management and a master of science in Management, both from Warner University. He served in the New Jersey Army National Guard from 1985 to 1993.

Capote and his family moved to Palm Bay in 1994. He has been married for 24 year and has two sons.

Elena Jones – Instructor

Elena is a professional dance instructor. Certified in Rhythm, Elena is currently working at Melbourne Ballroom where she is continuing her teaching and performing.

She received her first training in American Style Rhythm and Smooth when she joined the team of instructors at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in 2010.

Originally from Russia, Elena remains a dancer of International Latin as well. While working on the basic steps, you will learn how to develop the basics into dancing beyond the ordinary – simple yet exciting moves.

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE

Several Dancing With the Space Coast sponsorship levels are available, including the Grease Sponsor for $25,000, the Flashdance Sponsor for $15,000, the Footloose Sponsor for $10,000 and the Saturday Night Fever Sponsor for $5,000.

Tables are available at the following levels: Front Row VIP Dinner Table, $5,000; Second Row VIP Dinner Table, $2,500; Third Row Dinner Table, $1,750; and Fourth Row Dinner Table, $1,250.
Individual seats can be purchased for $150 per person.

Dancing With the Space Coast is sponsored by Harris Corp., Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Space Coast Daily, Florida Institute of Technology and C&R Designs.

For more information, or to make a donation in the name of your favorite dance pair, log on to DancingFortheSpaceCoast.com

Similar Stories