Saint Mary’s student dances on Disney Christmas special

WINONA, Minn. — Fallon Devine, a junior at Saint Mary’s University and a Winona native, danced her way into the “Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade 2007.”

The program, which features all the big names from “Dancing with the Stars” along with performances by Patti LaBelle, Jessica Simpson and Katharine McPhee, will air 9 a.m. Christmas Day on ABC.

Devine, a student at Rochester’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio, received a phone call from her dance instructor, Winston Fine, saying she was one of three people he was considering taking to Walt Disney World to perform. Whoever called him back first would get to go.

Devine wasted no time. “He said, ‘I literally just hung up the phone when you called.’ ”

All together 200 dancers, all part of the Fred Astaire company, served as background dancers for the show.

With a little luck, Devine said she and Fine received the opportunity to dance on one of only four platforms — and thereby get extra visibility. Between learning the dance steps and the show’s final taping, Devine estimates she danced 22 hours Thursday through Friday.

Devine has returned to Winona with some new dance moves, some great memories and lots of pictures with stars like Joey Fatone, Drew Lachey and Sabrina Bryan, along with the dance professionals Tony Dovolani, Julianne Hough and Edyta Sliwinska (and Mickey and Minnie).