Back 2 School Alliance

The Back 2 School Alliance and Young Dance Inc. have partnered to raise funds for local students in need by holding adult dance class workshops at Illinois Wesleyan’s Hansen Student Center on Saturday, Aug. 4 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The entry fee is either $5 or $5 worth of school supplies. All proceeds will go toward providing school supplies for students in Bloomington District 87 and Normal Unit 5 schools.

Lessons in waltz, ballroom, latin, east coast swing, and various other dance styles will be offered at both introductory and advanced levels. Young Dance Inc. has invited guest instructor Brittni Thorne from Ballroom City of Villa Park to conduct each lesson.

Since she began dancing at age six, Thorne has competed in International Latin and American Rhythm dancing at several regional and national events in the United States. She currently teaches competitive and social ballroom, latin swing and salsa at Ballroom City.

Since 2014, Young Dance Inc. has invited dance instructors to hold workshops in communities throughout Illinois. Past events have been aimed at children, singles and couples as a means of introducing a broad range of people to the basic techniques of dancing.

The Back 2 School Alliance consists of volunteers and community partners who provide backpacks of school supplies for needy children in the Bloomington-Normal area. Through community supply drives, initiatives that encourage families to complete school registration, and their annual Back 2 School Party at which eligible students can pick up their supplies, the organization strives to give students the basic tools needed to succeed in the classroom.