Arts & Entertainment

Dancing for a Cause: Free Holiday Performance Benefits Ronald McDonald House

The Westfield School of Dance presents its holiday Performance, 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier.'

Sunday, December 9th 2012, The Westfield School of Dance presents its holiday Performance, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, A Story Ballet adapted from the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale.

The performance is free to the public. In lieu of ticket sales, guests are asked to bring an item to fulfill the “Wish List” of The Ronald McDonald House, New Brunswick, NJ. A House representative will be present at this year’s performance.

For the past several years, The Westfield School of Dance has hosted a benefit performance for Ronald McDonald House and Children’s Specialized Hospital but held it in February after the holidays. For the second year in a row, Joanne Carey, the artistic director of the Westfield School of Dance, heeded the request of her students and parents alike to do a holiday show. 

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“The kids have always wanted to do a Nutcracker, which is your traditional holiday ballet,” Carey said. “I wanted the kids to do something unique in nature and that would tell about love, especially if we would perform at Christmastime. The story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier is magical and timeless. I thought it was perfect to work into a child’s story ballet with a happy ending of course! The best part is that the children are very aware that their performance is helping make someone’s life a little better.”

The children’s ballet takes place on Christmas Eve when everyone has gone to bed. It is then that the all the toys come to life. Every role is danced by children of the dance studio and the performance is designed for a casual and relaxed afternoon for families and friends complete with narration.

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The performance is at 2:30 p.m. Westminster Hall, at The Presbyterian Nursery School on Mountain Ave. You can contact The Westfield School of Dance to make a reservation at 908-789-3011.


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