Horseshoe Bay couple in Dolly Parton Christmas special

A still from Dolly Parton’s ‘Mountain Magic Christmas’ special with the singer front and center. Photo by Katherine Bomboy/NBC

Horseshoe Bay residents Candace and Jeff Burns got the chance to dance with Dolly Parton — as part of the cast in the iconic country artist’s “Mountain Magic Christmas” special. It airs at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, on NBC. The couple has their daughter to thank for the opportunity, and their dance moves. Kathryn Burns, an Emmy Award-winning choreographer, worked on the show.

The Burnses traveled to Parton’s hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in August during filming of the Christmas special. They spent the day on set at Dollywood, where they danced and performed alongside Parton and eventually met her face to face.

Burns family of Horseshoe Bay with Dolly Parton — The Burns family of Candace (left), Jeff, and Kathryn (right) pose with Dolly Parton on the set of the country artist’s ‘Mountain Magic Christmas’ special, which airs Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. on NBC. Candace and Jeff Burns were in the cast, while daughter Kathryn, a choreographer, was part of the crew. Courtesy photo

“It was definitely an ethereal experience,” Candace Burns told DailyTrib.com. “I had a hard time putting two words together standing in front of her.”

“Mountain Magic Christmas” will feature musical performances of Parton’s hits, including “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” as well as originals written just for the show. Guest stars include Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmie Allen, and Zach Williams.

dakota@thepicayune.com