On August 17, 2010, the Backstage Dance Studio Show Troupe hit a grand slam at the Cal Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland, as the opening performance of the Youth World Series. They rocked the stadium!

Backstage Dance Studio is proud to have donated the proceeds from their June dance revue to Success in Style in Ellicott City, Maryland. Success in Style is a non-profit organization promoting dignity and self sufficiency among disadvantaged women by providing them with business attire and practical fashion advice. They seek to enhance the appearance of individual women to increase their confidence and self-esteem so that they may reflect the professionalism necessary to gain employment and maintain a career. They aim to improve the quality of life for women, their families and the community at large. They are committed to establishing a social culture of equality and respect for all women.

Backstage Dance Studio Show Troupe performed at the Howard County Drug Free Teen Job and Volunteer Fair on March 6, 2010 at Long Reach High School. "HC DrugFree" is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, with a mission of empowering the community to raise drug-free teens - a county where teens are DRUG-FREE BY CHOICE. Thank you, Backstage, for donating your time and talent for such a worthy cause!

Backstage Dance Studio is proud to have donated the proceeds from their June dance revue to Sarah's House, a non-profit transitional housing facility located in Fort Meade, MD, for women and children in need of temporary housing. Not only were we able to present them with a check for $1,000, but we also included in our donation a large box of much-needed baby items such as diapers, baby bottles, over-the-counter medicines, shampoos, soaps, juices and snacks for the children, etc. We hope that our efforts to help Sarah's House provided some relief for the many demands of this very worthwhile cause!

For more information about Sarah's House or to donate items, please call 410-551-7722, or visit their website at www.catholiccharities-md.org/sarahs-house/

As residents of the Gulf Coast continue to work to piece their lives back together following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Americans continue to open their hearts to provide comfort and assistance. Along with the national shock at the magnitude of the disaster, a growing desire to "do something" has emerged.

On Saturday, September 17, dancers from Chris Collins Dance Studio (Alexandria, VA), Center Stage Performing Arts Center (Fairfax, VA) and Backstage Dance Studio (Columbia, MD) did something. They came together on very short notice to give a benefit performance at Springfield Mall in support of relief efforts.

For more than three hours, dancers from each of the studios alternated performances while thousands of mall patrons gathered to view the spectacle. Chris Collins, whose studio took the lead in organizing the show, acted as master of ceremonies and set a very ambitious goal of raising $5,000 on the day. He also donated $500 on behalf of his studio to build the early fundraising momentum.

As 45 group and solo dance routines took to the impromptu stage on the mall floor, other dancers circled with top hats, collecting donations from the appreciative and enthusiastic audience. And when the final dance had been danced and the final dollar had been counted, the effort raised an amazing $6,334 -- every penny of which will go immediately to the American Red Cross to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Commenting on the days events, studio director Chris Collins observed, "At Chris Collins Dance Studio we like to say that we measure our success in smiles, and we usually means the smiles on the faces of our dancers. Because of the funds that these children raised today, some hurricane survivors will get a meal tomorrow; others will have shelter and a place to sleep; others may receive counseling; and they all will get a little more hope. And when our children see news reports in the weeks ahead and one of those survivors manages to muster a smile, our dancers will truly be able to measure the success of their efforts."

Fully sanctioned by the American Red Cross and supported by the Springfield Mall Merchants Association, the fundraiser was unique in its ability to bring together for a united purpose three studios or dancers who normally see each other as friendly rivals at dance competitions.

Collins observed, "At our studio we make a sincere effort to teach our students that they are more than just Chris Collins dancers. They belong to a larger community of dance, and we want them to develop friendships with dancers from other studios, learn from each other, and appreciate and support each other. Today these wonderful young people came together not as three dance studios but as one team united by a single goal, and the results speak for themselves."

We congratulate and thank all the dancers who gave so generously of their time and talents as well as those mall patron who gave so generously of their cash in order to support the relief efforts.