Live Love Dance fundraiser unites local dancers

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      The North Shore dance community is holding an evening of performances to support a mother of four who is undergoing treatment for a rare form of brain cancer.

      Proceeds from the Live Love Dance event will go to support Chelsea Steyns, owner of North Shore Academy of Dancing.

      Steyns is a long-time member of the local dance community and a popular teacher. She was trained in ballet as a child and in later years performed professionally as a Latin dancer.

      “She’s just got that personality that’s full of energy and fun, just a huge inspiration and a role model to a lot of people, especially children,” Eran Earland, a friend of Steyns’s and an event organizer, told the Straight.

      Earlier this year, not long after giving birth to her second set of twins, Steyns was diagnosed with pilomyxoid astrocytoma, a type of tumour not often found in adults.

      After receiving radiation treatment in Canada, she started following an alternative-therapy program in Texas. Steyns recently visited the U.S. clinic for around a month and is continuing her treatment at home in North Vancouver.

      “The treatment is quite hard on her system,” Earland said. “Her energy level’s very low. What little energy she has, she uses that to spend time with her kids.”

      Earland said Steyns’s medical insurance does not cover the new treatment, which is expected to cost around $30,000 per month.

      Through a series of events, supporters have been working to raise $400,000 to help Steyns and her family with their expenses.

      Live Love Dance is a highlight of those fundraising efforts. The event will feature performances by North Shore dance schools and companies, including Goh Ballet, B.C. Dance, and Coastal City Ballet.

      Earland said Steyns is excited about the event and plans to attend. “Some of her dancers have gone on to join the professional groups and different things and to see all their names coming up and supporting her, I think was quite emotional for her in a really cool way,” Earland said.

      Live Love Dance takes place at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver on Saturday (November 3) at 6 p.m. Tickets are $100. For more information, visit the Live Love Dance website.

      Comments

      1 Comments

      Suzanne

      Nov 1, 2012 at 10:39pm

      I think this is wonderful what you are doing for the mom and Dance teacher. My son passed away almost 4 years ago from a brain tumor and both my daughters danced. When we started our 7 year journey, my girls were 12 and 14 years old and dance saved their lives.