After spring break, everyone starts kicking in gear for the spring show. This means a flurry of rehearsals and costume fittings and trying to get everyone into the studio at once.

It also means that it’s time for fundraising.

I’ve mentioned before my extreme dislike of fundraisers, but they are so very important for dancers. Without fundraisers, there’s no way we would be able to put on shows- theaters are extraordinarily expensive, as are sets and costumes. Our living is entirely based on raising those funds. Therefore, we spend quite a bit of time working on what goes into a fundraiser.

The spring fundraiser is advertised as a tea party and is specifically for young children. It takes place at a super nice house, where snacks and beverages are being offered. There is also a silent auction and several other ways to donate to the company. Throughout the fundraiser, the dancers do various things including doing a fasion show for both dance and street clothes  and performing our variations.

Fundraiser shows are the absolute worst kind of show. There is absolutely no way to warm up properly and the dance space is often greatly reduced. It’s a challenge, but one necessary for us to be able to dance on a real stage. So we suck it up and smile for the people (so long as they give us money).