MICHAEL SWAN: HILLTOP ARTS SCHOOL STILL NEEDS HELP >>>

Back in August we posted a plea for help from the D.A.S.H. Center located on Hilltop Tacoma.  Apparently, they didn’t receive the help they needed.

Here is the latest news out of the D.A.S.H. Center:

TACOMA, Wash.  â€" The turbulent economy and a significant reduction in student-generated revenue could force one of Tacoma’s most vibrant non-profit organizations out of business.
 
The D.A.S.H. Center, a school of the arts located on Tacoma’s Hilltop, has fallen behind on rent because of the economic downturn. The Center, whose acronym stands for “Dancing, Acting, Singing and Harmony,” must raise $6,000 by the end of September or close its doors for good.
 
Candi Hall, the D.A.S.H. Center’s executive director, will be the featured speaker at a press conference intended to raise awareness about the potential closure. The press conference will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Center, located at 1504 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Hall will be joined by D.A.S.H. Center instructors and volunteers.
 

A native of Atlanta, Hall was visiting family in Tacoma back in 2001 when she recognized a need to establish a place where at-risk youth could engage in safe and productive activities. 
 
“Through dance and theater, children can express themselves freely, allowing them to share their talents and explore the creativity within each of them,” said Hall. “Far too many youth fall victim to the pitfalls of the world. Today, children contend daily with gangs, drugs, teen pregnancy, and teen domestic violence.”
 
The D.A.S.H. Center provides classes in ballet, hip-hop, tumbling, jazz, break-dancing, yoga and creative writing. Every year, Center performers produce six full stage shows, as well as a summer park concert event and a summer musical.
 
“In an area where many families are living under, or dangerously close to, the poverty line, the children of this community need a safe place to study and create,” Hall said. “Through artistic expression, ‘at risk’ youth can escape the many dangers of the street and find hope and the promise of a brighter future.”
 
To address its financial problems, the D.A.S.H. Center will host a benefit event on Pacific Lutheran University’s campus that will begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.
 
D.A.S.H. Center 1504 MLK Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA. 98405 (253) 572-DASH