The Big Dance is just a day away – and we’re not talking basketball. Dancing with the Chicago Celebrities, hosted by Arthur Murray Chicago, returns on Friday and CBS News Chicago’s Sabrina Franza will be among those taking the stage at Navy Pier.
Franza just wrapped up her final rehearsal for the annual fundraiser for breast cancer research. She’s dancing to honor her late grandmother, “Nonna” Maria, who died last year after being diagnosed with multiple types of stage 4 cancer.
She said her grandmother was always dancing – in the kitchen, in the living room, in the backyard, and on the town.
She was also a seamstress, and Franza learned to sew in her memory, even tailoring and customizing her outfit for the competition.
Nonna’s favorite song was Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
Since she died suddenly last year after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Franza has been trying to find ways to feel closer to her, and has learned to sew, make Nonna’s sauce, and is now dancing in her honor.
Franza hopes she can resurrect some muscle memory from her musical theater background to “break a leg” one last time.
