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The Mirror Ball has made its way to South Dakota, with a local hardware store icon taking it home to her store.
An annual tradition in Sioux Falls, Dancing with the Sioux Falls Stars has been a highly-anticipated event in the community for many years. All proceeds from the event are donated directly to the event’s host, Empire Mental Health Support, whose mission is to provide support, education and advocacy to people whose lives have been altered by life-changing mental health diagnoses.
For Kelly Nyberg, marketing director and corporate hiring manager at Nyberg’s Ace Hardware in Sioux Falls, participating in this competition was not only an exciting challenge, but a deeply personal one.
“A couple years ago, I went through some mental health challenges of my own,” Nyberg says. “I experienced depression and was in a huge funk. Luckily, I got out of that. But this cause means a lot to me—it was very, very personal to me.”
Modeled after the popular TV show, Dancing with the Stars, six local and well-known individuals in Sioux Falls are chosen to compete and are paired with local dance professionals. Contestants and partners create their own dances and have a few months to practice and perfect their routines. As a former cheerleader and gymnast with a dance background, Nyberg was excited to step back into her dancing shoes for the first time in 15 years.
“I’ve been wanting to be on Dancing with the Stars since the show came out 20 years ago, and I always wanted to do this competition, so when I was asked to do it, I was incredibly honored,” she says.
Known for their community involvement, Nyberg’s Ace Hardware has been a family-owned, locally-owned staple in Sioux Falls for over 65 years. From round-up fundraisers to a free kids club to free classes and demonstrations and a community car show, the company’s six locations are always collaborating with local organizations and charities to support those around them.
“Nyberg’s tries to support the community however we can, whether that’s through round-ups at checkouts or putting on free events for the community,” Kelly says. “And just with my own journey, this one was extra meaningful, and I wanted to help this cause.
The Nyberg’s Ace team and community know how to show up for their people, and rallying around Kelly during this competition was no different. Nyberg’s Ace was a sponsor for Dancing with the Sioux Falls Stars, contributing to the
event’s overall mission while supporting Kelly through the process.
“My dad owns the store and we love supporting our community in various ways,” Kelly says. “When I had the opportunity to do this, it was just a natural fit for them to get behind me, especially because some of my coworkers knew about my mental health journey and my family obviously knew about it, so my dad wanted to help support in that way.”
Preparing for the show was no small feat, Kelly says. After she found out she was chosen to compete in April, she and her partner, Josiah, began rehearsing at the end of July.
“We had two and a half months to rehearse, and at the end we were rehearsing two to three times a week,” she says.
Kelly and Josiah worked together to create a routine that combined ballroom dance with her cheerleading background. The performance included elements of waltz, rumba and hip hop.
“It was challenging because it was so fast, but it had a lot of variety and was fun to watch with the theatrics,” she says.
Kelly says she and Josiah became close friends during this process, an essential element when dancing with a partner.
“It’s important when you’re dancing with someone like that to feel connected,” she says. “We became lifelong friends after this.”
The Sioux Falls community showed up and showed out for the event, with over 400 attendees and selling out for the first time in years. Aside from the dancing, competitors and other community members shared stories of their mental health journeys throughout the night. Kelly shared about her own experience, emphasizing how important it is to ask for help.
“Everyone was just so supportive,” she says. “It was incredible to hear everyone’s stories. There was somebody on the board that came up and talked about their story with their three bipolar siblings and then a woman with a son who has schizophrenia spoke. It was just great to get the word out. Speaking out about mental health doesn’t make you weak, it makes you stronger.”
Kelly was crowned the winner of the competition, bringing home the Mirror Ball trophy to Nyberg’s Ace. While she is proud of the hard work she put into her routine, Kelly is even more grateful for the support given to Empire Mental Health Support and the awareness she was able to bring to the cause.
“This was such a cool opportunity that I did not want to end,” she says. “Everybody that competed just worked so hard—some have never been on a stage in their life and worked so hard for the cause to raise money and put on the best show possible. It was just an incredible experience that I wish I could do again.”
