Jazz and ballet. Tap and hip-hop. Centerstage dance company will take the floor tonight at the Washington Civic Center in a fundraising dinner/dance combo that will take these dancers to the nationals.
The doors open at 6:30 p.m., dinner is served shortly after, but the main event — dancing — starts at 7 p.m. Fifteen dancers, ages 6 to 19, will preview the routines they’ll be taking to the regional competition this month in Louisburg, then on to the national competition to be held in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in July.
“It’s a nice evening. You can just sit back, relax, eat and watch the show,” said Gwen Jordan, mother of Centerstage owner LeAnne Jones-Braly.
Jordan said Jones-Braly’s life-long passion for dance started with lessons at 4 years old, and led to a bachelor’s degree in dance from East Carolina University and the creation of the Centerstage studio in Washington in 1999.
The competition aspect of the studio is non-profit, according to Jordan. Jones-Braly holds auditions every year for the dance company and once a dancer makes the cut, the Thursday practices sessions are free.
“(Jones-Braly’s) classes run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday is dedicated for dance company,” Jordan said. “There’s no charge for dance company.”
But there is a charge for the costumes and the fees to attend the competitions, which creates the need for Centerstage’s annual dinner/dance fundraiser, according to Jordan.
In addition to dance, Jordan said tonight’s menu is Italian grilled chicken, green beans, butter-parsley potatoes served with rolls and a dessert. Three raffles will be held a various points during the performance.
Tickets to the Centerstage annual fundraiser are $15 each. For more information, contact Gwen Jordan at 252-943-1146.