Stars of Hope boosts young cancer survivors

St. Albert’s own Shari VanderWoude founded Stars of Hope to pay tribute to her mother, a cancer patient who lost the battle but did not go down without a fight.

The sparkling variety dance show has not only helped ease VanderWoude’s pain, but has become a source of inspiration for cancer survivors and exploded into one of the largest dance gatherings in Edmonton.

The eighth annual Stars of Hope this Saturday at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is a one-night-only benefit performance with more than 660 young dancers who champion the Kids with Cancer Society.

“It’s a great night of entertainment that supports kids on two levels. You not only support Kids with Cancer, but you also support kids giving of their time and talent,” says VanderWoude, owner of Edmonton’s Dance Theme.

St. Albert’s Art of Dance and DanceCo and Morinville’s Dance Connection are fusing their talents with 23 other dance studios for a dazzling glimpse of different movement styles from ballet, jazz and tap to musical theatre, hip hop and modern contemporary.

Sherwood Park’s Dance Fusion is once again performing the largest number with 55 dancers. “It’s called Literally Fusion and they mix disciplines of tap, hip hop and jazz. It’s very entertaining.”

VanderWoude’s own studio goes retro with Company B, adapted from The Andrews Sisters’ Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Choreographed by Debbie England, “It’s a tap piece. It involves 22 dancers. It’s very precise and high energy.”

This year VanderWoude is impressed by some of the stunning sets several studios have built. Art of Dance is slated to perform the majestic Dr. Zhivago and is flying in an ice palace as a backdrop.

DanceCo is bringing in an eight-foot by 12-foot climbing wall for the contemporary dance Red Planet. “They’re all creatures from a planet with a queen mother. They dance and creep around the wall and it’s like their planet,” says DanceCo’s Tracey Knott.

And the Edmonton Dance Factory is importing a 40-foot-wide temple for Temple of Heaven, a jazz piece that incorporates 25 dancers.

The Pipes and Drums of the Edmonton Police Service will pipe 10 to 15 children with cancer and their families down the Jubilee’s aisles. Just before the last number, two cancer survivors, Alexis Ortleib, 12, and Kaitlyn Lee, 8, will speak about their experiences.

“That usually brings a huge silence. They are so courageous, so beautiful,” VanderWoude says.

The program closer is two-dozen Cheremosh dancers performing a new version of Hopak in Style of a Rhapsody. “They are so exciting, so vibrant, so uplifting.”

This year VanderWoude hopes to raise $35,000 with funds going to psychological support programs and research for child specific cancers.