CHRISTMAS is the season for giving, and it started a little early this year. On October 26th, 2016, Dance Company and Drill Team put on a dance benefit concert. For a $5 entrance fee, a guest could watch Granger High School’s dance teams, as well as other school’s teams, perform with passion.

All of the proceeds went to a good cause. Every year, thousands of kids in this community go without a Christmas; in order to help these children get one, Sub for Santa donates everything from books to clothes. This nonprofit organization cannot do it all alone, however, and accepts help from the community. This is where the benefit concert came in.

“It’s doing what I love, but it’s a service, not a trouble. I’m spreading what I love while helping people,” Brittany Petersen (9) said.

The concert was very beneficial, not only for the charity, but also for the students who were able to help.  Students were able to help people while following their passions, which is a goal for many. “It feels good. You get to do two things you love — help people and dance. From my perspective, it feels good because you know you’re helping people by dancing,” Edwin Perez (9) said.

The students were able to raise hundreds of dollars for their cause. Halfway through the event, there was a miracle minute. During this short time, they collected roughly $200 dollars in donations from the audience.

“I think it’s great. It opens a lot of doors and opportunities for something that is beneficial for the community,” Mr. Jackson, an assistant principal at Granger High School, said.

Something else that made for a truly splendiferous concert was the fact that other schools came to perform as well. Students from other schools such as Taylorsville and Skyline came to Granger High School for the concert. “I think that’s great. It makes us an ambassador and lets us showcase our school. We take a lead. Other schools could’ve offered to do it, but we’re the ones who hosted the benefit,” Mr. Jackson said.

Those in attendance thought it was great to just see all of the dancers perform. “You get to see what the others have been working on. They’ve been working so hard and they’re so talented. It’s great to see people doing what they love,” Petersen said.

This concert was important for other reasons, too. Dance has a great effect on many student’s lives, and being able to show it off is wonderful. “I started dancing in fourth grade. I like performing and twirling. It makes me happy. The concert was fun. It is something that I want to do in life,” Raja Benning (9) said.

Having programs like dance help Granger students out so much. It is great that the school has them. “Having avenues like dance opens new opportunities and brings culture. It’s a great thing,” Mr. Jackson said.

Dance also teaches students how to persevere. “A lot of people think dancing is so easy; they think you just lift your leg, but it’s more complicated than that. It’s a process. It’s physically and mentally challenging. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. You have to keep trying,” Petersen said.

It was magical seeing what all of these dancers have worked so hard to achieve. This is an annual concert, but it’s special every time, so students are encouraged to attend to next year’s concert for a truly wonderful time.