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News Anchor Kicks Up Her Heels At Charity Event

News Channel 8 photo by PETER BERNARD

News Channel 8 anchor Gayle Guyardo dances with Lino Hernandez, professional dance instructor, at Thursday night's "Dancing With the Stars Tampa Bay" charity event.

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By PETER BERNARD

News Channel 8

Published: November 6, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - A charity event in St. Petersburg on Thursday night fashioned like the hit show "Dancing With the Stars" featured News Channel 8 morning anchor Gayle Guyardo showing off her skills at dancing the salsa.

Learning the moves for the event wasn't easy, Guyardo said.

"Birthing four children has been easier than learning this dance," she said. "It's tough being a dancer, it really is."

Guyardo paired with instructor and professional dancer Lino Hernandez for "Dancing With the Stars Tampa Bay." The event at the Vinoy Hotel raised money for Heartbeat International, an agency that donates pacemakers to people who can't afford them.

Guyardo practiced for two months to get the moves down, which was tough on her schedule. She said she is usually up at 3 a.m. to get ready to anchor News Channel 8's morning show. Sometimes she would stop mid-dance during the practice because she was so tired, she said.

Plus salsa dancing is a difficult style to learn.

"I've hit him in the face, I've stepped on his toes," Guyardo said of Hernandez. "I've fallen on the floor. I may have tripped once."

But Hernandez said Guyardo is a quick learner.

"I'm proud of her," he said. ""She wakes up at the time I go to bed. So I wouldn't be able to dance if I woke up at 3 in the morning."

Guyardo said she had a special reason for dancing at the event: her late grandmother used a pacemaker and Guyardo credits the device for extending her grandmother's life.

And before Guyardo and Hernandez took the stage Thursday, she said she had a message.

"I hope my morning show viewers are forgiving (today)," she said. "Because I'm going to be really tired."

Tribune reporter Ray Reyes contributed to this report.

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