It's their anniversary, but dancers honor CHKD with benefit

VIRGINIA BEACH

The pain, sorrow, joy and gratitude felt by families touched by Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters will soon be expressed through dance.

Music in Motion Dance Company, a nonprofit organization housed in the Little Neck area academy, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Artistic directors, Darlene Stephens and Sally Robinson, along with choreographers Audra Lepper, Joanne Robey and Amy Crawley, created an original dance routine in honor of CHKD.

A "Tribute" will be one of the many pieces performed at the show, "In Vision" to be held at 7:30 p.m. today, March 6, at the Tidewater Community College Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk. The company will donate 10 percent of the proceeds to CHKD.

"We decided to do something to speak to the community and bring

awareness about the great things CHKD does," said Crawley, 35, of Middle Plantation.

The approximately 15-minute piece contains five movements: birth, illness, turning to CHKD, emotional journey and healing.

"It takes us from the gift of birth to the realization of a problem, turning to CHKD and when they come into the light," explained Crawley.

A scrim will be behind the dancers showcasing clips of treatment photos, quotes with inspiring words and happy ending shots of actual children treated at the hospital.

"Ideally it's a tribute to the whole process - the delicateness of life and the gift we have in our community to turn to for help," said Crawley, a dancer since age 5 who started under Stephens in the fourth grade.

Robey said the choreographers and dancers, who have collaborated for countless hours, are hopeful "Tribute" will draw in emotions.

As the mother of two young children, Robey feels strongly about the importance of this performance.

"This is the most I've felt connected to a piece since I've been with Music in Motion," said Robey, 31, of Windsor Woods. She started dancing at age 3 and is in her ninth year with the company. "The whole show has been given much more purpose because we're dancing for a true purpose this year."

That is why Lepper feels most of the audience will relate and connect to the emotional and touching piece.

"A lot of our audience is usually parents, family members and friends," Lepper said. "We hope it'll bring them into the shoes of those parents and children so they can see what they go through.

"Hopefully they'll never need it, but they know it's there if they do," said Lepper, 38, of Suffolk, who is in her 18th year with Music in Motion.

Stephens said there will be several families and children who have had their lives affected by CHKD in the audience that night. The company also hopes to bring the performance to the hospital for children unable to attend.

The "In Vision" show will also feature modern, jazz and hip hop dance styles with pieces titled: "Suncatchers," "Transformation," "Hope," "Boom Boom Pow," "Everything in its Right Place" and "Shakin' at the High School Hop."

Stephen's daughter, Lauren Kelly, a former Music in Motion dancer who now performs with Philadanco II, will be the guest artist.

Sandra J. Pennecke, Pennecke@cox.net