Dance4ADay 2010

Why not involve your friends or your dance group in an exciting fundraising dance event we are holding this year for the Murray House Appeal? Not only will you will have great fun, but you will be raising funds for a very worthwhile cause!

Mary Hare is holding a special 12 hour dance event at Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury, on Saturday 24 April 2010, so why not come along?

You can come along to Mary Hare on Saturday 24th April or you can organise your own sponsored dance event at any time during 2010, to support the appeal. If you register details of your dance group with us,using the link on the right, we can send you flyers and sponsor forms to help with your own event.

“I use dance to help me with my emotions. I love to perform – it gives me a thrill and I am a different person on stage.” Mikhail, Year 12, Mary Hare School

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS...

EITHER

Come along to our 'Dance4ADay' event at Arlington Arts Centre on Saturday 24th April. You can get yourself sponsored to take part in the event, or pay on the day (£5 per session or £20 for all sessions from 9am to 9pm - some activities may incur an extra small charge).

If you are collecting sponsorship, you must bring evidence of this with you, or you will be asked to pay the standard entry fee for the sessions you wish to attend.

Organise / take part in a sponsored dance event at any time during 2010 and then send in your donation towards our appeal. Information packs and sponsor forms are available, once you have registered your details with us, using the link on the right.

MARY HARE DANCE EVENT 24 April 2010

If your dance group would like to take part, click on the ‘Dance4ADay' link on the right and complete the registration form. As well as a 12-hour dance marathon, we hope to offer master classes and workshops, ‘Learn A New Dance’ taster sessions and lots more dance-related fun! If you would like to lead a dance session, we would also love to hear from you!

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

09.00 - 10.00	Warm Up (suitable for toddler to adult)
10.00 - 12.00	Improvised / Creative Dance
13.00 - 15.00	Musical Theatre
15.30 - 17.30	Street / Hip Hop / Break Dance
18.00 - 20.00	Silent Disco* (under 18s only)
20.00 - 21.00	Cool Down / Event Ends

*SILENT DISCO

Mary Hare's 'Dance4ADay' event will end with a unique alternative to the traditional nightclub scene, offering a completely new way to party! Each dancer is given a set of wireless headphones with a choice of music to listen to. Think of crowds of people dancing in apparent silence, with half of the room humming to a different tune! Discos have never been so much fun - come along and experience it for yorself! Numbers are limited, so let us know if you would like to attend.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

Using dance to communicate is something open to everyone. If you have an inner rhythm, a sense of musicality, boundless energy and enthusiasm, then you can dance!

Dance at Mary Hare is special - it gives profoundly deaf young people common ground with their hearing peers, helping them develop their confidence and communication skills. Because Mary Hare is an oral school (we teach without the use of signing), pupils have to concentrate intensely all day, lip-reading and listening. A dance lesson, therefore, is a chance to ‘let go’ as well as a way of getting a message across without the need for words.

Some deaf dancers use their listening skills and can pick up enough sound to stay in time, others feel the vibrations through their body (not just through their feet - try standing close to a speaker and you will feel the music in your chest!). Others will count to stay in time. In group dances some follow by watching others, so it becomes very much a shared group experience.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Young people who are profoundly deaf need specialist support. This applies to all aspects of their life, in order to help them integrate more fully into the hearing world. Last year, we launched the Murray House Appeal to raise funds towards the £2million needed for new accommodation for our Year 11 pupils. Dance4ADay 2010 will raise money for this appeal and you can help by taking part!