IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Fall 2016 | Page 20

Making a
Difference
Through
Dance
Local dance studio’s
charity is changing
lives by giving back.
BY HEATHER HOLTSCHLAG

S

hari Opfermann, owner of Dance Workshop By
Shari, developed the philosophy of “Dancing For A
Difference” as a way for her staff and dancers to give

Dancing For A Difference
dancers aren’t just performers,
they’re volunteers for a good
cause as well.

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back.
Since 2003, the studio’s Dancing For A Difference program
has sponsored a variety of activities and events to raise
money for the community, including Bring A Friend to the
Studio for National Dance Week, A Unity in Community 5K
Run, Relay for Life teams and various variety shows that have
included the studio’s own dancers as well as groups from the
community.
Dancing For A Difference, which officially became
a nonprofit organization in 2008, gives students the
opportunity to do what they love – dancing and performing
– while making a difference in the lives of others, says
Opfermann.
“All of the studio dancers and families are invited to get
involved in some capacity,” she explains. “They can do so
either by volunteering, making a donation or performing.
We usually have about 60 to 100 dancers from the studio
involved in the benefit performances. Additional children