Dance for Hope raises an abun-dance of money
The annual Dance for Hope, coordinated by the Interact Club took place Saturday, March 4, and featured performances by five different dance studios, including the “Sexy Brown Bollywood Brilliance,” a group of 20 Indian-American students mostly from Newbury Park High School. Tickets for the event sold out completely, with a few audience members standing in the back just to get a glimpse of the action. The event, which was dedicated to Christine Hodson’s legacy, raised over $4000 for the American Cancer Society. People from the ages of seven to seventy participated in the dances, adding to the diverse nature of the event. The night was filled with dancing, food, fun and an overall great atmosphere.
Flex – Performers from Thrive Dance Center begin the show at a lightning pace with a number entitled ‘No, I Don’t Remember.” Juliette Stoffer, sophomore, dances at Thrive and was overjoyed to not only participate in the dances, but choreograph a large group of people. “It was one of the first years almost every dance was made from scratch, and we got to pick the songs we loved. I thought this was really special when I made the mix because these were songs I grew up listening to and heard from my parents, and now I got to create my own art with them,” Stoffer said.
Reach – The boys of “Sexy Brown Bollywood Brilliance” take the floor as they perform one of their dances. Adi Chattopadhyay, senior, remarks on the fun nature of introducing a younger crowd to Dance for Hope. “It was less about dancing and also more about like, creating a fun community for people to hang out with and teaching dances in a fun way,” Chattopadhyay said.
Aloha – Teachers and trained dancers open Act II with a slow hula number in memory of Christine Hodson. In reference to their cause, the co-president of Interact Club, Brady Craven, senior, talks about the fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. “It’s always been [the] American Cancer Society, but I think this year means something else. Something kind of more important because of the loss of Ms. Hodson and just how much that means to our school community,” Craven said.
Flowers – The Interact Club board accepts flowers after the show, something which they had been planning since the start of the year. Brady Craven discusses the work they do in preparation for the event. “It really takes a lot to plan it. It’s a long process. We do donations from food companies for our dinner portion of the event and then we also have to coordinate all of the dancers and make sure that they’re ready and prepared to perform for the dance,” Craven said.
