The small mountain of food on display when walking up to the Centennial Auditorium at Peacock Collegiate on Sunday night said all one needed to know about the success of the 2023 edition of the Dance for Hunger Showcase.
Once again, performers and supporters of Dance Images by BJ had come through in incredible fashion, once again donating over a ton of non-perishable food items for the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank.
If it starts to sound like a broken record at any point, that’s for good reason -- the event has been a season-opening highlight for the local dance studio for many years now and offers an excellent chance for their youngsters to build their community spirit while helping those in need.
“It’s such a way for our kids to be on the stage and performing, kicking off our competition season and giving back to the community,” said Shauna Bzdel with Dance Images. “I think that’s something that’s really important, instilling those values into our kids and helping them appreciate what they have. It’s such an easy thing to do but it makes such a big difference.”
The support from the dancers and event patrons alike helps make Dance for Hunger what it is. Performers spend the weekend rehearsing and preparing for the Showcase, gathering food at the same time. Then patrons on the night of the show add to the massive stock of items, creating a huge donation that is always appreciated.
“We’ve had another great turnout from the community and a lot of donations, and while we like to think we don’t have that need in the community, it’s actually growing,” Bzdel said. “To see so much support from our dance families and everybody else is amazing.”
Of course, there’s the Showcase portion of the whole thing, with hundreds of fans packing the auditorium to get their first look at what Dance Images has to offer this season.
“The kids have been working hard, it was a great weekend for our group rehearsals and tonight we get to wrap it all up and show everyone what we can do on stage,” Bzdel said.
The Showcase also had a new twist this year, as members of the Moose Jaw chapter of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets showed up to help load the donated items into the Food Bank’s van. Needless to say, the help was much appreciated.
“It’s nice to have those kids involved, and involved in different things,” Bzdel said. “Whether it’s dancing or cadets, having them become active community members and finding different ways to help the community and give back is always great to see.”
Now, it’s time for the competition season proper to begin.
Dance Images by BJ will host their 37th annual Moose Jaw Invitational Dance Carnival this coming weekend, with the three-day event featuring 11 studios in one of the first competitions in the province this season.
The action kicks off on Friday, Mar. 24 and runs through Sunday, Mar. 26 at the Peacock auditorium, with sessions running at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Fans are welcome and be sure to search for Moose Jaw Invitational Dance Carnival on Facebook for the latest information.
