North County Dance and Performing Arts Foundation is performing in a benefit concert with Class Act Dance from Paso Robles, SLOMAC, and professional dancers and singers who will help benefit iDance4aCURE.
iDance4aCURE is a national organization that raises funds for pediatric cancer and brain tumor research.
“We have really discussed how we want to hear classical dance to have our dance company learn about how they can bring better things to the world and bring a purpose and how they can dance, use their art form in their passion for this art form, and go out and do good things for the community and for the world," said Cheryle Armstrong, owner of Class Act Dance.
Armstrong opened Class Act Dance and Performing Arts in 1990 and has been teaching in San Luis Obispo County for 33 years. Three years after opening the studio, Armstrong co-founded the non-profit North County Dance and Performing Arts Foundation.
Rehearsals are underway for the first iDance4aCURE fundraiser.
“I have a neighbor whose granddaughter, he's very close to me and their son grew up with my daughter," Armstrong said. "You'll see the video in the performance and her name is Tessa. She's three, very sweet, young little girl, and she was diagnosed with leukemia in October."
Armstrong and Emmy Award nominee director and choreographer, Doriana Sanchez, told KSBY News pediatric cancer is the least-funded cancer research group and they’d like to bring awareness to how close to home cancer can hit.
“I’m hoping that the audience understands that cancer does not discriminate and also that there is hope and there is progress towards a cure," Sanchez emphasized.
The junior and senior groups with ages ranging from 8 to 18 will be performing both in group dances and solo dances, with their own choreography mixed in followed by professional performances from dancers and singers coming in from Los Angeles and Texas.
The concert next Saturday starts at 7 p.m. at the Spanos Theatre in San Luis Obispo. Benefits go directly to iDance4aCURE and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. Tickets can be found here.
iDance4aCURE has donated over $750,000 to childhood cancer and brain tumor research, including to Children's Hospital LA, Children's National in DC, Texas Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Dana Farber and Joseph M Sanzari Children's Hospital along with UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
Doriana Sanchez is a two-time American Choreography Award nominated Creative Director and Choreographer. She received a World Choreography Award for Concert Choreography for the Cher D2K Tour.
Cheryle Armstrong graduated with a BFA in dance from the University of California Santa Barbara where she also began her teaching career and opened up her own studio. Cheryle continues to teach, direct and choreograph at her studio in Paso Robles.
