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Fame students hoping to 'Dance the Magic' with the help of the Samaritan Disciples

A group of Cold Lake dancers are preparing for the experience of a lifetime, and the Samaritan Disciples Charitable Riding Association is hoping to help get them there.
The pre-company group at Fame Dance Studios in Cold Lake will be the beneficiaries of an upcoming fundraiser hosted by the Samaritan Disciples Charitable Riding Association.
The pre-company group at Fame Dance Studios in Cold Lake will be the beneficiaries of an upcoming fundraiser hosted by the Samaritan Disciples Charitable Riding Association.

A group of Cold Lake dancers are preparing for the experience of a lifetime, and the Samaritan Disciples Charitable Riding Association is hoping to help get them there.

This summer, 12 pre-company dancers from Fame Dance Studios in Cold Lake will be making their way to the happiest place on earth to ‘Dance the Magic.' They'll be joining between 700 and 800 dancers from around the world at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA where they'll get to show off their skills and learn some new moves.

“They're going to partake in a workshop where they'll be taught by Disney choreographers. They're also going to do a choreographed parade in Disneyland, a parade in California Ventures, as well as partake in a VIP party with dancers from around the world,” explained Tracy Spears of Fame Dance Studios. “On the last day, they're going to be able to showcase their numbers they learned in Canada down there.”

While groups from Fame have travelled to Disneyland in the past, this will be their first time with Dance the Magic, and the first travelling event for this group of dancers that range from eight to 13-years-old.

“They're pretty excited and pretty pumped. The instructor, Carley Spears, she was pretty happy all 12 of her dancers have committed to going that far.”

However, the July trip comes for a price. Each dancer is offered a performers package costing approximately $1,000, which includes their costume for the parade and a hopper pass to get them to the parks. In addition to that, they also have to foot the bill for the accommodations and airfare. Spears is estimating Dance the Magic will cost between $2,000 and $2,500 per dancer.

To help put the opportunity more within reach, the Samaritan Disciples stepped in. On Saturday, March 25, they will hosting Jiggs for a Jig – a traditional Newfoundland dinner and dance fundraiser, with all of the proceeds going towards the Fame pre-company dance group's trip to Disneyland.

“It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Any chance we have to help someone with anything like this it's nice to do… anytime we can help kids have an opportunity they wouldn't normally get,” said Kassi Davidson, secretary for Samaritan Disciples.

Vice-president Kody Davidson added, “I think it's a very good event. It will be awesome for the dancers and they'll enjoy it a lot.”

The Samaritan Disciples Charitable Riding Association is a one of the newer non-profit groups in the area, forming about a year ago. They currently have around 10 to 13 members, both motorcycle riders and non-riders, with the goal of raising money for a variety of worthy causes in the Lakeland.

Guests at their upcoming Jiggs for Jigs fundraiser will be treated to an authentic Newfie dinner, complete with turkey, salt beef, turnips and cabbage. A number of local Newfoundland-natives are going to be lending a hand with the home cooking.

“Everybody from Newfoundland loves to eat and dance and have a good time, so we might as well keep going with that because the girls love to dance and have a good time themselves. We figured it was a good fit,” said Kassi.

A number of the dancers from the group hoping to head down to Dance the Magic will be helping out with the evening, and if everything works out, may even give a sneak peak at some of their routine.

“We are so extremely grateful and honoured that they accepted our letter and our willing to sponsor us and help the girls out,” Spears expressed. “We will have some of our dancers there and, if space permits, they'll put on a little show.”

Whether you're a Newfie or not, the Samaritan Disciples are encouraging everyone to come out to enjoy a night of dancing and a home cooked meal.

Jiggs for a Jig is being held at the Bonnyville Legion on March 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance before March 20 by calling 587-201-2526 or 780-201-5522.

Spears added, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of these girls, and it's just an amazing opportunity for them to go down there and experience this with dancers from around the world.”

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