Target reached!
Any additional funds raised would then help go towards mirrors and a sound system.
Help dancers fund flooring in "Elizabeth's Studio"
Dorchester, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Help dancers fund sprung flooring in “Elizabeth’s Studio”
Our dance school started over 60 years ago and has a hugely exciting opportunity to build its own premises. This will provide fantastic dance facilities for our students, young and old. As a charity we are also thrilled to have this chance to expand our dance provision to less able members of our community.
The highlight and heart of our premises will be Elizabeth’s studio, named in honour of our founding teacher who devoted her life to the school and its dancers.
‘Libby’ and her good friend, Ann, shared an idealistic vision of dance being, “available to all, regardless of age, wealth or ability”, which remains central to the school’s ethos to this day. The school is run by volunteers allowing it to keep fees affordable and provide many free classes for its students.
During her 58 years as a teacher, Libby taught thousands of students. In 2004 she was recognised in the New Year’s Honours list with an MBE for her services to dance and to her local community. She continued to amaze her students with incredible teaching insight until shortly after her 85th birthday, being admitted to hospital just a few weeks later and diagnosed with terminal cancer. She had an extraordinary influence on Dorchester and the wider dance world; a touching tribute to her can be found on the Royal Academy of Dance Life Members' page.
Within a few days of her death the news on our social media page had been shared or commented on more than 10,000 times, with expressions of sadness from many generations.
Libby left us a legacy in her Will, a substantial sum with which she wanted us to secure the future of Dorchester Ballet and Dance by building our own premises. Plans are being finalised for ‘The Swan Centre’, the name chosen by Libby.
‘The Elizabeth Goodchild Studio’ will have sprung wooden flooring with mirrors and barres. At over 100m2 it will be large enough for vocational students to take examinations.
HELP US FIT OUT A STUDIO IN HER NAME
Dorset Youth Fund has provided £5,000 of match funding
This project successfully funded on 22nd May 2019