Dancing With The Gorge Stars returns for 10th year

For more information about DWTGS and the Gorge stars, visit mccca.info.

DeAnn DePaepe

DeAnn DePaepe is a goat rancher with KLD Farm. According to her bio on MCCCA’s website, she’s loved dancing throughout her entire life, with experience in tap, jazz and dance team. For the last several years, she has enjoyed watching DWTGS, which was what motivated her to throw her hat into the ring. In participating, she hopes to have as much fun as possible, win the mirrorball trophy and to raise money for MCCCA.

“Now break out your wallets, buy those votes and please enjoy the show,” she said.

DePaepe loves spending time with her husband of 27 years, Ed, her daughter Kassidy, son-in-law Jake and grandchildren Islee and Ellie. She enjoys raising dairy goats and is very involved with 4-H, traveling throughout the Northwest for shows.

Joel Lane

Joel Lane is the assistant manager at Cousins Restaurant in The Dalles, where he has worked for more than 20 years. Lane is more than familiar with the limelight and the stage, as he’s previously acted with The Dalles Theatre Company and did a stint on a soap opera.

Lane loves spending time outdoors, especially in the summer months. During the winter, he prefers the library and crafts. He also loves karaoke and anything with good food and music.

Lane has said his life is full of family, with his wife of 15 years, Christina, and his four children, Zerina, Kourtney, Landon and Dawson at the forefront. He also has his work family at Cousins, and now DWTGS will make up another. For many years, Lane has supported DWTGS from the audience, and said he loves how the fundraiser brings the community together. He said he’s excited to have the opportunity to bring all of his “families” together to cheer him on to win the Mirrorball trophy. What’s even more exciting, his daughter Kourtney will be in the opening act, so he gets to share the experience with her.

Judy Ford

Judy Ford may have a leg up on the other contestants. In her role as co-owner The Dalles Dance Academy, dance is part of her everyday life. She also teaches active fourth-graders at Dufur Elementary School and instructs Spin and RepUp classes. In the summer, she also helps with harvest at her family’s wheat farm.

Besides her many commitments, Ford also has a rich family life, always making time for her boyfriend, family, friends and “substantial myriad of pets.” She loves “chaperoning” her parents, Will and Jenni, who she says are the cutest couple ever. She’s also very close to her niece and nephews, Gard, Josie and William.

After being in last year’s audience, she was excited to be a part of the competition in 2024. She’s a bit nervous, but is ready to take on the challenge.

Randy McMurrin

Randy McMurrin is the plumbing department manager at A&E Plumbing, Heating and Air. He has some stage experience from his youth, According to his MCCCA bio, but expects to be challenged by the competition. Despite this, he is ready to win the Mirrorball, even if he has to risk public embarrassment in the process.

McMurrin enjoys spending time with his three sisters and their families and participating in a multitude of hobbies, all while prioritizing his Christian faith. He also spends time with friends and dreams of someday living a peaceful homesteading life.

Ryan LeBreton

Ryan LeBreton is an optometrist at Mid-Columbia Vision Source in The Dalles, which he has owned and operated for the past 20 years. He and his wife Lindsay enjoy staying active and spending time with their children Bailey, Zoe and Hunter.

Over the years, LeBreton has coached many sports his kids have played. In his free time, he enjoys fishing on the river, camping in the woods and bow-hunting. He also cherishes the time he can spend with his wife and children and practicing their shared love of their Christian faith.

LeBreton loves music and loves to dance, but is more experienced as an MC than a performer. Even so, he promised to give it his all to win the Mirrorball. As he put it in his MCCCA bio, he looks forward to learning some new dance moves, having a good laugh and giving the audience their money’s worth.

Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield

Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield is a local artist and author known for her series “Babe in The Woods” and the art she displays in her fine art gallery near the Riverfront Trail. Pepin-Wakefield describes herself as an “orphaned, childless widow who finds family gift-giving a no-brainer.”

Pepin-Wakefield takes pride in keeping a regimen, exercising, working hard and spending time in nature. Of course, she also knows how to have fun, with a love for playing golf and pickleball and kayaking. She’s no dancer, saying in her MCCCA bio that her only experience has been literally stepping on her dad’s feet to the polka at age four and learning the box step by holding greasy hands with boys in elementary school.

Pepin-Wakefield’s interest in DWTGS was piqued after she attended the event in 2016 as a guest of then-contestant Dean Dollarhide. She sees herself competing now as a thank-you to Dollarhide and the community as a whole for the support she received during that very difficult time of her life. By joining the competition, she believes she is bringing herself full circle: A real sign of healing.