Canterbury school Phoenix Performing Arts dance around the clock for a new home
The Phoenix performing
arts group's nine hour fund raising dance-a-thon in full swing in
the Parish Centre, Castle Road, Whitstable on Saturday. Picture:
Chris Davey
Young and old danced around the
clock on Saturday to raise funds for a performing arts school’s new
home.
Members of Phoenix Performing Arts
strutted their stuff at the Parish Social Centre in Castle Road,
Whitstable, during a nine-hour dance-a-thon. Friends association
chairman Tony Petts was in charge of the jukebox, with the hits of
Michael Jackson proving the most popular tunes of the day.
The group, who are looking to build
a new centre and common room in the Canterbury area, have been left
homeless since Whitstable Castle closed for refurbishments last
year.
Tony Petts is confident events like
the dance-a-thon will help them reach their fundraising target.
He said: “£60,000 will get us the
basics to get into a new studio, but to get all the equipment we
need to fit it all out, we looking at raising more than £70,000.
Planning permission is already going through on one site at the
moment, but we can’t look too far forward until that’s all
settled.”
Sophie Guariglia, principal of the
school, believes a new home will help develop their talented
members.
She said: “We’re hoping to have two
studios, with singing rooms, costume and props stores and also a
common room. When people aren’t coming in for dance and performance
classes, we want to create a youth club and it will also mean we
won’t need to hire venues for events like we do now.”
180 students are currently members
of Phoenix, with some going on to study at high performance schools
such as Italia Conti, the Urdang Academy and the Royal Ballet
School.
For more information about
PPA, contact Sophie on 07968 367397 or email phoenixperformingarts@hotmail.co.uk
Tuesday, February 02 2010