At last year's Dance On! event, you might have walked into the Wege Ballroom on the Aquinas College campus and found yourself greeted by live music on the stage and hula hoops, beach balls and balloons flying through the air. Had you joined in during a quieter time, you might have noticed clusters of dancers gathered around the room, rehydrating, chatting and laughing. You might have walked in during a performance by the Arts In Motion Studio dancers, or by one of the other professional dance groups that participated in the event that year. At whatever point you may have joined the event, though, you would have been greeted by at least half a dozen enthusiastic dancers, homemade baked goods, a prize table and a fun atmosphere. So if you didn't join the Dance On! fundraising event last time, you'll have another chance in 2013 on February 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Every year, dancers from the Arts In Motion Studio, their friends and family and members of the community come together for Dance On! to dance, socialize, enjoy some music and raise some money for the organization. Arts In Motion Studio offers classes, workshops, events and performance opportunities for people of a wide range of ages with various cognitive, physical and behavioral disabilities. Their mission is to enrich the community and the lives of individuals with disability through the expressive arts. The organization is nonprofit, which means they rely heavily on events like this one to fund the work they do in the community. Beyond that, the students of AIM look forward to Dance On! because it's a fun event where they get to spend an entire afternoon showing off their creative talents.
Dancers and participants gather pledges (pledge sheets can be obtained by calling Delight Lester at 616-446-1409), then dance on the day of the event to "earn" them. Registration is $10 at the door, unless a participant has collected $50 or more of pledges. Dance On! 2013 T-shirts, snacks and refreshments, lunch and prizes are all provided. The event is open to everyone, including groups and group homes. No pre-registration is required.
What better way to spend a day than getting your Dance On?
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