Dance For A Difference To Benefit Sunflower Hill

LIVERMORE, CA - Nonprofit organization, Raising the Barre, invites Bay Area locals to their Dance for a Difference performance on April 15, 2018. The show, comprised of performing members from Tiffany’s Dance Academy Professional Division and ConDanza, will benefit Sunflower Hill, a special needs community in Livermore, CA. The event will take place at the Bankhead Theater in downtown Livermore, CA at 3:00 PM. For tickets visit www.lvpac.org.

The evening of professional and student performances will include artistry from every corner of dance. From tap to ballet variations and jazz to contemporary - there will be something for everyone. The sixty performers from Tiffany’s Dance Academy Performing Company are aged 13-18 and come from varied backgrounds, but share a common belief that dance can better their local community.

“Our members use the gift of dance to spread joy and make our communities a better place,” said Tiffany Henderson, founder of Raising the Barre and Tiffany’s Dance Academy, “Watching our children be proactive in our communities has been inspirational and I’m very excited to help the amazing Sunflower Hill organization.”

In November 2015, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released an updated statistic: one in 45 boys born in California are now being diagnosed with Autism. This is an increase from one in 150 in 1992 and essentially means that approximately two percent of all children in the United States ages 3-17 have some form of Autism. As these children become adults, there is and will continue to be a tremendous need for housing and support services.

Sunflower Hill is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working to create a sustainable residential community for individuals with special needs – similar to senior living. The community not only supports life-long living opportunities, but social, vocational, educational and recreational programs to ensure a full and productive life.

Tanya Ludden, Sunflower Hill Board Member, said, “We are honored to be chosen as the Dance for a Difference beneficiary, in remembrance of a very special boy who recently lost his life. There are many nonprofits in this area doing incredible work for our community, and we are so thankful to Raising the Barre, ConDanza, and the TDA Professional Company for choosing Sunflower Hill for this wonderful event.”

For more information contact Robbie Teruya. She can be reached by phone at (925) 583-2806 or by email at robbie@tiffanydance.com.

Raising the Barre was founded in 2013 by Tiffany Henderson with the goal to provide Middle and High School aged students the opportunity to change their world through dance. The program is based on 4 pillars of Character and Service - Leadership, Responsibility, Compassion and Confidence. Along with participation in community service projects, the students also attend seminars on etiquette and public speaking.

Tiffany's Dance Academy Professional Division was established in 2017 and aims to advance students’ artistic development through advanced training in ballet, modern and jazz technique. The program is designed for high school aged students with a strong background in the three disciplines. Our emphasis is on strong technique as a base from which to build expansive movement qualities and confident performance. All of this takes place in an environment that’s exciting and inspiring to our dancers who improve not only technically but also grow artistically.

ConDanza began in Stockholm, Sweden in 2005, officially moving operations to Tucson, Arizona in 2009; and now, expanding their work to Livermore, CA. Their mission is to advocate for the art form of dance. In addition, they continue to build on their vision - to enrich the cultural and educational fabric of Livermore - by establishing a semi-professional and professional level dance company. Here, young, local dancers collaborate with professional dancers, choreographers and dance educators from around the country, to share contemporary and classical dance within our community and beyond.