The Power of Dance community came together on Saturday, November 8, for its annual Showcase and Donation Drive—an event that not only kicks off the competitive dance season for POD’s team dancers but also provides vital support to local families through The Giving Tree.
Held at Bay View Middle School, this year’s showcase featured 111 dancers ages 5–18 representing nine teams. Dancers debuted 13 competition routines, bringing excitement, energy, and community spirit to the packed gymnasium.
And while the dancing wowed the crowd, the generosity of the audience and POD families was the biggest showstopper of all. This year’s event broke two major records: their largest-ever audience of 589 attendees brought in 2.235 pounds of donations — the most The Giving Tree has ever received from a single group or event.
Event organizer Amanda VandenPlas said, “I love that we ask for one non-perishable food item or personal care item and families come with bags or boxes full of food to donate! Our community is so giving and ready to help. It amazes me that every year the amount of donations grows!”
Donations poured in from audience members, studio families, and community supporters, filling bin after bin with food, toiletries, and household essentials. In addition to the donated items, Power of Dance also presented The Giving Tree with a $1,000 check, representing cash contributions made during the event, wages donated by staff members who volunteered their time, and a matching contribution from the studio.
The giving didn’t end when the bleachers emptied. In the week following the showcase, seven Power of Dance students volunteered at The Giving Tree, helping sort and stock the thousands of pounds of donated goods. VandenPlas says that this is another aspect of the Showcase that she loves. “The dancers get to be a part of the process and see how many lives our Power of Dance community touches with all of the donations!”
The studio looks forward to continuing this annual tradition of artistry, teamwork, and service—and to inspiring even more generosity in the years to come. Power of Dance studio is located just off of Lineville and Velp, and is dedicated to not only developing great dancers, but also helping their dancers develop into great people by encouraging compassion and service. The studio’s recreational dance program is still welcoming students of all ages to join them for the 2025-26 season!
photo caption: Pictured above is a group photo from Power of Dance’s annual Showcase and Donation Drive with all of the dancers and the Power of Dance staff gathered around the bins of donations that they collected.
