Dancing will be taking on a whole new cause in Haddonfield.
Ten of them, in fact, and they’ll all be local.
Joe Murphy of Dance Haddonfield, a weekly group certified by USA Dance that convenes at Grace Church, has announced a new, six-month contest to benefit nonprofits in the borough.
The contest is set to begin on Feb. 1 and will end on July 31.
The process is easy, with dancers signing in and writing their choice of a local group next to their name.
Therefore, Murphy explained, if a dancer attends each Sunday night for the length of the competition, they will be able to vote 26 times — and their vote recipient can vary each week.
“That’s all it takes,” he said.
The prize for first place is $2,000, Murphy said, followed by $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place. Nonprofits that come in fourth and fifth will receive $250, and those ranked sixth through 10th will receive $100.
Throughout the next six months, tallies will be posted on the Dance Haddonfield website and, on July 31, the winners will be announced.
According to a release, “In the event of a tie, we will continue the contest for one more week, but only for those who are tied. While unlikely, if necessary we would just continue further until any tie was broken.”
The contest is easy on all levels, Murphy said, and will help to bring awareness to Haddonfield nonprofits in a fun way.
Dance Haddonfield’s mission is to teach area residents how to dance, he said, and lessons are held at the church before the night of dancing begins.
“Joe hates to exercise. He likes to have fun,” said Terrie Murphy, a member of the group. “He put two and two together and thought why don’t we have fun and exercise at the same time?”
“Everybody has a good time,” she added.
Admission for the dances, which include ballroom, Latin and swing, is priced at $12.
About 50 to 100 people come out each Sunday, Joe Murphy said, “but we’d like to have more.”
“Every dance, we give away a Haddonfield gift certificate,” he said. “That helps promote the town.”
Partners are not necessary, he said.
“We all pretty much dance with out another,” Murphy said.
To learn more, visit http://www.dancehaddonfield.org/special-contest.html.
13th anniversary dance
“We’re 13 going on 300,” said Terrie Murphy of Dance Haddonfield.
On Friday, April 5, the group will celebrate its 13th anniversary at Tavistock Country Club, 100 Tavistock Lane, as part of the tricentennial celebrations around town.
The night of dance will commence at 7 and end at 10:30 p.m.
Admission is priced at $12 per person, or $10 for members of USA Dance.
According to the Haddonfield300 website, Linda Hess, the Indian King Tavern’s curator, will be on hand to demonstrate a dance from the early 1700s.
View more information at www.haddonfield300.org.
