Founded in 2012 by former Fort Worth Country Day student Brittany Alexis ‘12, Choreographing for a Cause is still going strong. This year, FWCD sophomore Kacey Melton is the president of the charity. Every Friday, Kacey Melton ’18, Reagan Smith ’17, Dana Guthrie ’17, Ariana Gilly ’16, and Madeline Haas ‘16 go to the Bethlehem Center from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The FWCD dancers first bond with and get to know the third, fourth, and fifth grade girls at the center. Then, they choreograph a dance based on the kind of music the girls enjoy. Normally, the dances are hip-hop, but occasionally they incorporate some ballet to introduce the girls to classical dancing.

Once a year, the Bethlehem Center girls perform in a recital. This year’s recital was on February 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the FWCD Theater. The Texas Ballet Theater of Forth Worth, the Gale Corkery School of Ballet, Dance Concepts, FWCD Ballet, and the Bethlehem Center dancers performed in the recital. Roughly 100 people attended the performance at $10 a person, resulting in $1,075 raised for the Bethlehem Center. In addition to the entrance fee, a few separate donations were made to the center.

“It was really great to see these young girls so excited about dance and ballet. The support from the dance companies was also really nice to see and shows how much our community as a whole cares,” said Sarah Nolan ’17.

The Bethlehem Center is a part of the United Community Centers, Inc, a non-profit organization that works with the United Methodist Church and United Way of Tarrant County. United Community Centers recognize poverty and work to create opportunities, such as jobs, education, and activities, for those impoverished in the hopes to end their dependence on welfare. United Community Centers mission statement is “guided by Christian principles, we serve and empower those in need.” Visit the United Community Centers to learn more or donate.

http://www.unitedcommunitycenters.org