By: Sarah Steele

Dancing is more than just fun for Max Dingeman. He dances to help raise funds and awareness for children and adults with special needs in the northern Michigan region. Max is competing in season four of SwingShift and the Stars at the City Opera House in Traverse City, the northern Michigan spin-off of BBC's top rated, prime time televised dance competition.

Max is not only the youngest contestant to participate, but he is also the first and only competitor with Down syndrome and special needs. Max is currently in second place out of six dancers competing in an open competition.

SwingShift and the Stars was created to provide philanthropic opportunity by bringing Grand Traverse region charities and community members together through a dance-off. Six local celebrities, paired with six local dance instructors, have pledged to entertain the audience by participating in the feel-good twist of Dancing with the Stars to encourage donations. This version of Dancing with the Stars is a series of four competitions that began in September and ends in December at the City Opera House in Traverse City. Each dance competition is before a live, voting audience and panel of judges. Community members are invited to attend. The audience has the privilege of voting for their favorite couple by making a minimum donation of $5 to go toward one of the six charities chosen by the competing couples.

Max, 21, a Traverse City native, is a certified personal trainer assistant at Agevix Specialized Exercise, where he works with survivors of traumatic brain injuries, strokes and spinal cord injuries. Max also works at Premier Health & Fitness, assisting members and maintaining the exercise equipment. He is studying at Northwestern Michigan College to become a computer whiz. He participated in Special Olympics Michigan as a downhill skier for two years when he was in high school.

Max loves to dance, and is determined to prove those with special needs can be good dancers too. He chose VSA arts of Michigan (Grand Traverse area) to receive the money raised from his participation in the competition. VSA arts was founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith. It is an international nonprofit organization and affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. There are chapters in every state, including 12 chapters in Michigan, and 80 other countries.VSA arts provides access and opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to experience and grow through the arts. VSA arts of MI-Grand Traverse Area was founded in 1994. Since then, it has touched the lives of thousands of children and adults with disabilities through music, dance, drama, creative writing and visual art.

After their performance Oct. 21, Max and his dancing partner Jennifer raised more than $8,000. They also won the popular vote, placing the team second overall in the competition. They were one point away from winning first place from the judges. The pair will be waltzing on Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 to continue raising money and support for the VSA. If interested in attending, click here. If unable to attend, but still interested in donating visit VSAarts-gt.org.