Saturday's Dance Recital Benefits Connor's Cause for Children

Academy of Performing Arts Annual Dance Recital to Benefit Connor’s Cause for Children

Conner's Cause for Children provides critical financial assistance to over 300 families struggling to cover the out of pocket costs of caring for a child with a life-threatening illness or injury. They make sure that no child goes without medical services or proper in-home care because of a family's lack of resources. Linda Wilkerson, director of the Academy of Performing Arts (www.sddanceimages.com) has partnered with Connor’s Cause to not only help raise money for this organization but to teach her students the importance of community service and helping others.

“Miss Linda,” as she is known to her 125 students, teaches tap, jazz, lyrical and ballet in Carlsbad and Encinitas. She has always used the dance recitals as a way to give back to children’s charities. She partnered with Connor’s Cause in 1997 and has donated a portion of the proceeds from the dance recitals to this organization for the past 17 years. During this time she has raised nearly $30,000 for Connor’s Cause.

Ms. Carol Del Signore, executive director of Connor’s Cause says, “We are so grateful and so honored that Linda and all of the families have been supporting Connor’s Cause for more years than I can remember. We have families just like yours. The big difference is that the families we help have children who are battling all kinds of diseases and suffering from traumatic injuries. What we try to do is ease their burden a little bit. We are very grateful for Linda’s support.”

The Academy of Performing Arts Dance Recital features solo acts and group dances by students ranging in age from three to 30. Students get a chance to showcase what they have learned in class throughout the year and perform on stage.  In addition to choreographing and teaching dance routines, Miss Linda orders costumes, secures the venue, goes out and gets donation items, and orchestrates the details to make the two hour show as entertaining as possible. Miss Linda has taught dance for over 22 years and her recitals are full of variety both musically and stylistically. Just watching her 3-5 year old “petite ballerinas ” perform is worth the price of admission. This year’s recital will also feature a Latin-hip-hop mother-daughter dance.

The APA Dance Recital will be held on June 28, 2014 at 11am and 6pm at the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center. Tickets are $18 and will be available at the door.