Seeking aid for the arts

Green Mountain Performing Arts needs financial help to keep dancing

Behind the quick Celtic steps and gliding ballet twirls at Green Mountain Performing Arts lies an organization in need of a financial kick to keep kids dancing.

Created in 2005 as One Dance Studio under the direction of former owner and founder Laurie Flaherty, the once private venture is now a nonprofit organization. But financial shortages threaten to quiet its dance floors forever.

Suzanne Santarcangelo, current chair of the GMPA Board of Directors and mother of two dance students, said enrollment remains steady and enthusiasm for classes is always high, but the organization’s financial struggles need to be addressed.

“There’s richness here that would be horrible to lose, both as a parent and as a community member,” she said.

GMPA has traditionally needed to raise about $30,000 annually, Santarcangelo said.

“That was always the goal. This year we’ve actually had to up that amount to $35,000,” she said.

GMPA uses the monies to fund its staff of seven employees and, more importantly, to make the arts accessible to everyone by providing tuition assistance and scholarship funds for families of students struggling financially.

A few months ago, an anonymous donor pledged to provide a matching gift if the organization raises $10,000 by the end of January. Belle McDougall, secretary for the GMPA Board of Directors, said the organization has already raised about $3,000 and is pushing to collect the rest.

“It’s just an opportunity we can’t afford to lose,” McDougall said.

The GMPA board has started an online Indiegogo campaign and is asking for pledges from students’ friends and family members.

“If everyone could get just three people to donate $35, suddenly (the fundraising) sounds doable,” Santarcangelo said.

Dating back to its days as a private business, the performing arts school has bounced back from hard times before.

Flaherty’s first-floor Elm Street studio was flooded during Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011, along with much of the village, leaving behind muddied costumes and ruined sets.

The props and location may have been torn apart, but the community quickly came together to support the organization.

Within four months, with the help of donated time and materials, the organization opened its current Commercial Drive location as the nonprofit Green Mountain Performing Arts, ready to shine the spotlight again on the loyal students and parents who helped get the show back on the dance floor.

But times were still hard, and Flaherty eventually stepped down as director in 2012, leaving the studio she worked so hard to create.

“It was a tough time,” Santarcangelo said. “A nonprofit isn’t any different than a business, and most new businesses fail within the first three years. Just because we’re a nonprofit, it doesn’t make things any different.”

While GMPA offers everything from an after-school program to ballet to hip-hop classes, studio manager Melody Richardson said one of the most beloved classes on the chopping block is its Celtic dance program.

“Seeing the kids participate in this program, you can just see how very happy they are,” she said.

Santarcangelo agreed, saying the class teaches more than just fancy footwork. She said the program provides a lesson in culture, history and tradition through dance, music and costumes.

“Our whole program is really about building and keeping a strong community foundation,” Santarcangelo said. “We try to promote community, culture and vitality, doing our best to make sure it’s accessible to kids of all ages.”

The group will be holding an informational meeting for the public at GMPA’s studio on Sunday, Jan. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. The community is encouraged to attend, ask questions and see the students in action.

To learn more about the organization, visit onestudiodanceandyoga.com; to donate to the online campaign, visit indiegogo.com/projects/green-mountain-performing-arts.