The ladies of Dancing with the Pagosa Stars

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By Danyelle Leentjes | Seeds of Learning

The six stars of Dancing with the Pagosa Stars are preparing for the fifth annual dance competition to support Seeds of Learning. 

These stars have been matched with a dance coach who will lead them through the process to win the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy. Three of these fabulous stars are Chantelle Jordan, Sarah Mashue and Stewart Bellina.

Jordan’s love of learning and supporting others in their learning adventures all started as a ranch kid in eastern Oregon. She attended public school, participated in athletics, 4-H and learned to dance at the age of 4. In her current position as Pagosa Springs High School assistant principal and athletic director, she is passionate about supporting teachers and coaches to ultimately help all students. Dancing with the Pagosa Stars is the perfect combination of a favorite hobby, dancing, and devoting her time and energy to support the Seeds of Learning educators and students. Jordan lives not far from Pagosa Springs with her husband, Joe, and two sons, Nolan and Rhead. She is an outdoor renthusiast and an avid triathlete. When she is not supporting educators and students, you will likely find her running or biking on a nearby trail.

Mashue and husband Kris moved to Pagosa Springs in 2007. Together, they have a residential construction and property management company. Mashue has worked as a server for more than 15 years and enjoys working in the service industry. Mashue volunteers for several worthy causes in Pagosa Springs and enjoys traveling, camping, running, dancing, sewing and snowboarding. A mother of two, Tucker, 17, and Natalie, 16, Mashue is grateful to raise funds to support early education at Seeds of Learning. 

In 2001, Bellina moved to Colorado after being born and raised in Mississippi, and quickly began her career in education using her degree from Ole Miss. She started out as a preschool teacher in Crested Butte, Colo., in a school very similar to Seeds of Learning before she met her husband, Dave. She then returned to school to get the first of two master’s degrees in education. Bellina now works as the principal of San Juan Mountain School, a successful new alternative high school for students in the Archuleta School District who need extra support. If you want to cast your vote for a hardworking, fun-loving mom of two who has dedicated her career to the youth in our community, look no further than this amazing woman.

Want to see the stars perform in person? Purchase a ticket online on July 14 at 9 a.m. from our website, dwtps.org. All tickets include votes for your favorite star, a buffet dinner served by our fine-dining restaurant, a sensational show which is sure to entertain, and open dancing is back this year with the Tim Sullivan Band playing during voting. 

But why wait until the event to vote when you can do it today? Visit vote.dwtps.org to vote for your favorite stars. Each $1 vote moves a star closer to winning the fabulous trophy and bragging rights for the next year. You can vote for as many stars as you would like as many times as you want. But, more importantly, all the proceeds go to sustaining Seeds of Learning’s tuition mission to provide affordable, high-quality early childhood education in Pagosa Springs.

Seeds of Learning is a nonprofit standalone preschool serving approximately 58 preschoolers year-round, ages 2.5 to 5 years old. The critical proceeds from this event are what make it possible for most of the children at Seeds to attend.