Quick answer. The second annual Dance for Dana dance-a-thon, directed by the owner of a Revere, Massachusetts dance academy, brought nine local dance schools together as fundraising teams and collectively raised $43,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, according to a July 2019 news report. The day mixed studio performances with follow-along routines, and top-earning schools won prizes and a chance to perform at a Boston charity event.
Nine rival studios, one dance-a-thon
Dance for Dana is a dance-a-thon run by local dance schools north of Boston for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Boston cancer hospital and research center. Nicole Paolo, owner of the Nicole Zervas Dance Academy in Revere, directs it. For this event, nine independent schools from three neighboring towns entered as fundraising teams under one banner.
A single article covers it. In July 2019 the East Boston Times-Free Press reported that the second annual Dance for Dana had collectively raised $43,000 for Dana-Farber. The headline says "over $40,000." The article doesn't give the date of that second edition. It announced the next one for Sunday, November 24, 2019, so the second annual took place before mid-2019, but we can't confirm the year.
Performances, follow-along routines and a stage prize
The nine schools came from three neighboring communities: six from Revere, one from East Boston and two from Winthrop. Paolo's own studio, which the article says had recently marked its 30th anniversary, was one of them.
The program combined live performances by the studios with follow-along routines, and the article pitches it as a fitness-style event open to dancers of all ages and levels. There were drawings and prizes for the top-earning schools. The article names the two top fundraisers, Nicole Zervas Dance Academy and Dance Revolution with Erika. Top-earning schools were also offered a chance to perform at the Scooper Bowl at Boston's City Hall Plaza.
Sponsors came from local government and local businesses, with production help on music editing, sound and photography donated by individuals. Paolo described the cause as personal and said the dancers dance "for all those who courageously fight or have lost their battle to cancer."
One news report, many blanks
We can verify the nine schools and their towns, the $43,000 collective figure, the beneficiary, the program format, the prizes and performance opportunity for top earners, the two top schools, the kinds of sponsors and the next date. We can't verify:
- the year or venue of the second annual event, or how long it lasted;
- how many dancers took part, so there is no per-dancer figure;
- how money was raised (pledges, flat donations, entry fees or sponsorships). The article credits the schools' collective effort without describing the mechanics;
- costs, whether $43,000 is gross or net, and how much each school raised.
Without a dancer count or a cost figure, $43,000 can't be turned into a rate another studio could plan around. It sits among the higher community and studio totals in our dance-a-thon results database, which draws on published results that lean toward successful events.
Running a multi-studio dance-a-thon
Make the studio the team
Each school already has a name, a following of families and an instructor people listen to. Using whole studios as teams skips the work of forming teams from scratch, and rankings between nearby schools give families a reason to care. A friendly rivalry needs agreed rules, though. When nine schools raise money under one name, settle before the announcement who collects the money, how each school's total is counted for prizes, and the date the count closes. Rival owners will accept a ranking more easily if they signed off on the method first. Our dance studio fundraiser guide covers how a single studio or a group of studios can host.
Offer a prize dancers actually want
The Scooper Bowl offer is the most distinctive detail in the report. For a studio dancer, a chance to perform at a public charity event in the city may mean more than merchandise, and it costs the organizers nothing to give if a partner event has a stage to fill. Think about what your own dancers would work for: stage time, a featured spot in the showcase, a guest class. Dance-a-thon prize ideas has more non-cash options.
Give the public a way in
Studio performances alone make a recital. Follow-along routines let parents, siblings and beginners join in, which is what makes it a dance-a-thon. Plan blocks that alternate a short showcase with an all-floor routine an instructor can teach on the spot. The session planner will lay those blocks out on a clock.
See how this multi-studio model compares with schools and nonprofits in our dance-a-thon case studies.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Dance for Dana raise?
The East Boston Times-Free Press reported in July 2019 that the second annual Dance for Dana collectively raised $43,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; its headline rounds this to over $40,000. The article doesn't say whether that is gross or net.
Which dance schools took part in Dance for Dana?
Nine schools from Revere, East Boston and Winthrop, Massachusetts. Nicole Zervas Dance Academy and Dance Revolution with Erika were named the top fundraisers.
What happened at the Dance for Dana dance-a-thon?
The program combined live studio performances with follow-along routines open to dancers of all ages and levels, plus drawings and prizes for the top-earning schools.
What did the top-fundraising studios win?
Besides prizes, top-earning schools were offered a chance to perform at the Scooper Bowl at Boston's City Hall Plaza. It is an example of a prize built around stage time rather than merchandise.
When was the second Dance for Dana held?
The article doesn't say. It was published in July 2019 and announced the next edition for November 24, 2019, so the second annual event happened earlier, but its exact date and venue are not reported.