Day of dancing and theatre to raise funds for Hamilton dance studio

The Drury Lane Dance group are putting on a fundraising concert to finish their dance studio. Photo / Tom Rowland

A night of tap, jazz, hip-hop and musical theatre performances are all on the agenda this month as the Drury Lane Dance & Performance group invites the local community to an exciting fundraising concert in Hamilton.

The show - aptly named Inspiration - features performance dancers presenting all types of dance styles. The performers have been training and rehearsing all year for the show, and together with the crew, they are dedicating their time and efforts to fundraise to complete the upgrade to the Aileen Downey Dance Studio at Clarence St Theatre.

The studio connected to the theatre has been named the Aileen Downey Dance Studio in her memory.

Aileen Downey was an inspiration to many. She choreographed, dance captained or directed numerous shows for the Hamilton Operatic Society over a number of years.

Aileen was the founder of the Drury Lane Dance Studio in 1968 and taught dance right up until the few weeks before she passed away from her fight with cancer.

Aileen was also on the board of the Hamilton Operatic Society when the Clarence St Theatre was designed and built. Many local people contributed bricks, time and sweat into the theatre.

Inspiration has been choreographed and directed by Kerry Davis, Aileen's daughter. Kerry's involvement with the Clarence St Theatre is also considerable.

She teaches dance in the studio, attends shows and trains the many dancers who have graced the stage in shows at the theatre over the past 40 years.

Kerry has taken it upon herself to fundraise to upgrade the studio including new mirrors, curtains, sound system, resurfaced floor, air-conditioning, acoustic interior wall, new dance barres and a repaint.

A Givealittle campaign helped kickstart the project. While there has been great support from the community so far, more funding is needed to complete the studio upgrade.

Once upgraded, the studio will serve the local community for many years to come, benefiting the many groups, schools and performers who use it.

All funds raised from the ticket sales of this performance will be donated to the Aileen Downey Dance Studio upgrade.

All performers, choreographers and crew have donated their time and skills for this event.

After a year when many live theatre performances and local theatre has been cancelled, here's an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful show while supporting a great cause.

The Inspiration show is on Sunday, November 15 at the Clarence St Theatre with tickets available via Ticketek.