The PREMIER Thriller Dance Team in The Villages! We RISE to DANCE !
Meet our 2026 Thrill The Villages Organizational Team!
(From left to right.)
- Darcy LaClair - Webmaster
- Kimberly Daly - Director of Information
- Candy Granger - Member Onboarding Coordinator
- Vicky Rodseth - Director of Operations
- Jessica Padin - Director of Social Media
- Bonnie Stein - Founder
- Cyndy Exner - Director of Communications
Bonnie crept into The Villages in 2017, having haunted the dance floors of Tampa and St. Petersburg with Thriller for years, returning to Pinellas each Halloween season to dance Thriller. When the eerie silence of the 2020 pandemic fell over the land, Bonnie refused to let the tradition die. With a chilling vision and a heart full of haunt, she summoned Thrill The Villages into existence—beginning with a mere 10 brave zombies, ready to rise and dance.
Though she didn’t begin her dance journey until her late 40s, Bonnie dove into the world of movement with both feet... some tap shoes and a zombied up old tee-shirt. Today, she not only serves as the Lead Zombie of Thrill The Villages but also keeps the rhythm alive as a member of two additional dance troupes - Evolution Dance Company and The Candy Girls Tap Dancers.
Her energy is supernatural—teaching fitness classes all over The Villages, where she’s something of a local legend. For over 36 years, she's been a spirited force in Aerobic Walking and Racewalking classes across the nation.
A true ambassador of The Villages, Bonnie casts a warm (and slightly eerie) spell over residents and visitors alike, drawing them into the community’s magical charm.
Long before her dance shoes clicked, Bonnie enchanted young minds as an elementary school teacher in South Florida—her birthplace and original stomping grounds.
Bonnie continues schooling us... only now it's in how to dance like the zombie.
Vicky made the move to The Villages in 2020, leaving behind the Windy City of Chicago after a fulfilling career in the pharmaceutical industry. Retired and ready for a new adventure, she and her husband quickly fell in love with everything The Villages has to offer. She says The Villages is a beautiful place to live with wonderful weather year-round and there are just so many things to do.
Since settling in, Vicky has embraced the vibrant lifestyle by joining several social clubs and staying active in fitness and dance classes. But her true passion lies with Thrill The Villages.
She had always wanted to learn the dance to one of her favorite songs and relishes in the friendships she’s made by belonging to such a fun club. As she enters into her fourth year, she reflects on self-growth, the joy of helping others, and the simple fun of performing the dance.
For Vicky, it’s not just about the moves—it’s about the memories being made.