Next summer (isn’t it nice to imagine not wearing a parka?) if you happen to enjoy a musical performance at Geneva’s RiverPark, thank the couples who participated at “Dancing with the Geneva Stars” on Feb. 5.

Thank them, thank the people who enthusiastically attended, and thank the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission, which worked with the Geneva Academic Foundation to put on the popular fund-raiser, to be held at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva.

But get your ticket soon! Organizers need to provide a good head count by Saturday, and tickets are moving quickly.

Sales are already well north of 350, according to Carolyn Hill, a member of the arts group. “We’re already well past sales for the two previous years,” she said. Reconfiguring seating has given the groups the ability to sell more tickets than in past years.

Cost is $35 a person and includes hors d’oeuvres, dessert and cash bar. Our six dancing couples include: Anne and Matt Cesarone, dancing the salsa; Jane and Peter Cladis, waltz; Jeanne and Donald Cummings, with the tango; Ralph and Nancy Dantino, swing; Therese and Steve Davison, paso doble; and Amanda and Adam Law, dancing the cha-cha. 

The evening begins at 7 p.m. (the bar opens at 6 p.m., and the appetizer buffets begin serving at 6:30 p.m.) and  includes food and fun, with six couples dancing for dollars, so to speak. People vote for their favorite dancers (and many vote, online, in advance and potentially from far away), and even get some dancing lessons of their own.

While the evening is entertainment itself for those attending, proceeds will help fund more entertainment in the future. (In this case, proceeds will also help fund education, as the Geneva Academic Foundation, which is helping organize “Dancing,” also gets a share of the dollars earned.)

If you attended the Steeple Walk, featuring seasonal music concerts at four Geneva churches in December or the recent Sno Sculpting exhibition at Geneva Commons, you can thank the arts group, which also presented Shakespeare in the Park last summer. The commission hosted musical events on four summer Sundays at Geneva’s RiverPark. The Geneva Film Festival is on tap for April. 

And that’s just a sampling. The commission’s aim is to be “recognized as the regional model for innovative and vibrant cultural arts; nurturing an arts-focused community where people desire to live, work and visit.

Its mission? “To create diverse cultural art experiences that engage the community,” pursing cooperation among not just the art community, but also government, business, education and the private sector. It seeks to provide resources and opportunities for people to experience art in their daily lives and wants to develop cultural initiatives that also encourage economic growth.

“We want to create diverse cultural experiences,” said Hill. And members are always looking for new and fresh ideas, and other ways to encourage the arts.

The upcoming fund-raiser will help fund those fresh ideas.

For information on “Dancing with the Geneva Stars,” visit http://www.geneva.il.us/livingingeneva/appboards/cac/dancing.htm. For information on the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission, visit http://www.geneva.il.us/livingingeneva/appboards/cultural_arts.htm.