# Ariella Rush

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{{Short description|American ballroom dancer}}
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'''Ariella (Aria) Maree Rush''' (born '''Mary Marie Stoehr''' June 9, 1956 in [Canton, Ohio](/source/Canton%2C_Ohio))<ref name="Birth">State of Ohio Vital Records</ref> is an American [ballroom dancer](/source/ballroom_dancer) noted for dazzling and complex dance routines with her various professional dance partners, the most notable being Keith Knox, from 1976 through 1981.<ref name="Studio">[Fred Astaire Dance Studios](/source/Fred_Astaire_Dance_Studios)</ref> Rush and Knox were best known for their [tango](/source/Tango_(dance)), [cha-cha](/source/Cha-cha-cha_(dance)) and [mambo](/source/Mambo_(dance)) routines, as well as, high-energy [swing](/source/Swing_(dance)) dancing. Rush made appearances all over the [United States](/source/United_States) including [Disney World](/source/Disney_World) in [Orlando, Florida](/source/Orlando%2C_Florida), [Universal Studios](/source/Universal_Destinations_%26_Experiences), [Six Flags Over Georgia](/source/Six_Flags_Over_Georgia), [Six Flags Over Texas](/source/Six_Flags_Over_Texas), the [Roseland Ballroom](/source/Roseland_Ballroom) in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and the [Fox Theatre](/source/Fox_Theatre_(Atlanta)) in [Atlanta, Georgia](/source/Atlanta%2C_Georgia).<ref name="AJC" /><ref name="MDJ" /> Rush is also credited under other aliases, including '''Arianna''', '''Aria Rose''', and '''Maree Champion'''.<ref name="AJC">[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution](/source/The_Atlanta_Journal-Constitution)</ref><ref name="MDJ" />

Rush and Knox competed in professional [ballroom dancing](/source/ballroom_dancing), and were named the 1979 Southeast Rising Star Champions at the National Dance Championships held at the Peachtree Plaza Hotel in [Atlanta, GA](/source/Atlanta%2C_GA).<ref name="Studio" /><ref name="MDJ">[Marietta Daily Journal](/source/Marietta_Daily_Journal)</ref> This win qualified them to compete in the most prestigious of all international dance competitions, [Blackpool Dance Festival](/source/Blackpool_Dance_Festival); however, an injury forced Rush's early retirement.<ref name="MDJ" />

== Early life ==
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Rush grew up as Marie Stoehr in [Marietta, Georgia](/source/Marietta%2C_Georgia),<ref name="MDJ" /> and started dance and piano lessons at the age of five. She actively participated in talent shows throughout her childhood, appearing as a very young guest numerous times on [Freddie Miller](/source/Freddie_Miller_(broadcaster))'s television broadcasts, ''Stars of Tomorrow'' and ''Dance Party''.<ref name="MDJ" /><ref name="CH11">WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA</ref><ref name="CH5">[WAGA-TV](/source/WAGA-TV), Atlanta, GA</ref> She briefly competed in [beauty pageant](/source/beauty_pageant)s, winning runner up to the NGA Fair Queen at the North Georgia Fairgrounds in 1970.<ref name="MDJ" /><ref name="CH5" /> She later became a model and professional dancer, and taught ballroom dancing at [Fred Astaire Dance Studios](/source/Fred_Astaire_Dance_Studios), in addition to performing and competing.{{citation needed|date=August 2010}}

== Later years ==

After retiring from dancing and modeling, Rush produced programming for television broadcast in [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)), [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina), and [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee) from 1994 to 2000.<ref name="Alltel">[Alltel](/source/Alltel)</ref><ref name="Standard">Standard Group, Cornelia, GA</ref> She is most known for her creation, direction, and production of a weekly adventure series called ''The Highroad South'' which began in 1998, and aired in the Alltel cable system until December, 2000. Reruns of ''The Highroad'' continued, by popular demand, for two years after Rush shut down production for personal reasons.<ref name="Alltel" /><ref name="Standard" />

In the 2000s, Rush promoted musicians and bands and was involved in [music video](/source/music_video) [choreography](/source/choreography).<ref name="GNR">[Guns N' Roses](/source/Guns_N'_Roses) Today</ref><ref name="YV">[Your Vegas](/source/Your_Vegas), A Town & Two Cities, Universal 2008</ref>

== Personal life ==

Rush currently lives in northeast Texas.<ref name="TX">Herald Democrat, July 13, 2010</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Ariella M.}}
Category:American ballroom dancers
Category:American choreographers
Category:American television directors
Category:American television producers
Category:American women television producers
Category:1956 births
Category:Living people
Category:American women television directors
Category:21st-century American women

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ariella Rush](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariella_Rush) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariella_Rush?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.