A group of dancers in Westbury hit the dance floor Saturday night to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.
“Dancing is awesome, but we have power, I think with any form of art, to make a difference,” said dancer Heather Lennon. She and other dancers performed before a sold-out theater at the Maguire Theater at SUNY Old Westbury.
Kim Leary, who founded Glen Dance Studio, said the money raised at the event will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Long Island.
“They’re houses and they are situated near hospitals, so when a family has a sick child and they need to be close to a hospital and you want to keep them all together,” Leary said.
She said that she has organized charity performances since she founded her studio for over two decades. She added that this was a performance she feels everyone benefited from.
“It’s doing a few things. They get to rehearse for competition, the parents get to see them dance and we’re helping some people in the course of all that,” Leary added.
Cathleen Annello was one of the younger dancers in the company. She hopes her performance will provide a lift to someone in need on Long Island.
“I’m helping, but I'm also doing what I love -- dance,” she enthused.
The dancers performed a number of routines, but each dancer had a favorite, including Luciana Gianola.
“I love jazz because I’m very animated and love using my face for my emotions,” she explained.
Dan Friedlin, who has never missed a performance his daughter was in, made sure he made it to the sold-out show. He said he has seen his daugther perform between 30 and 40 times in the last 10 years and added that he feels pride and joy every time he sees her dancing on stage.
If you would like to make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, follow this
link.