TRIP Dance planning a fundraiser

Stowe’s TRIP Dance Company will hold its 12th annual fundraiser on Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21, at 7 p.m. at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, 122 Hourglass Drive, Stowe Mountain Resort.

TRIP, Vermont’s competitive dance company associated with the Stowe Dance Academy, has returned from two leading industry competitions, NUVO in Montreal and the New York City Dance Alliance in Boston, where they competed and performed with some of the top dancers in the country.

At NYCDA, the senior dance, “Mein Herr,” choreographed by Stowe Dance Academy’s Danielle Suffredini, was awarded the Critic’s Choice award, Studio Stand Out and Highest Overall Score. This dazzling piece, along with several other award-winning dances, will be performed at the fundraiser.

TRIP’s Junior division received numerous awards, including Class Act Award, Outstanding Showmanship Award and Outstanding Staging for its jazz number “Move,” Outstanding Interpretation for its lyrical dance “A World to Believe In,” and Outstanding Energy and Outstanding Costume for the musical theater number “It’s a Party.”

The convention concluded with the entire TRIP troupe being invited to attend, with scholarships, the NYCDA Nationals in New York City this July.

“The passion, commitment, and enthusiasm of our dancers continues to grow,” says TRIP artistic director Helena Sullivan. “This year we have seen such dedication — from long hours at the studio to being on stage in Boston. It’s thrilling to see it all come together and to be able to share it with our community.”

TRIP, which stands for Technique, Rehearse, Implement and Perform, involves 34 dancers ages 9-18 from Stowe, Waterbury Center, Morrisville, Johnson, Hyde Park and Waitsfield. Now in its 13th year, TRIP offers young dancers in Vermont the opportunity to master technique and performance skills in the areas of ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, and hip hop.

Many TRIP dancers spend their summers attending competitive and highly selective dance intensives at world-renowned ballet schools; they have included the School of American Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theater and Joffrey Ballet School.

Last September, TRIP dancers performed on stage in Burlington with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Outstanding TRIP alumnae include Michaela DePrince, now performing in the Dutch National Ballet’s production of "Don Quixote," and Liana Hunt, who has had lead roles in Broadway productions of “Mamma Mia” and “Newsies” and is currently performing in the Broadway national tour of "Wicked."

Tickets: $25 adults, $20 students: 760-4634, SprucePeakArts.org. Tickets are also available from TRIP dancers.