The Lancer Dancers lifted their legs, extended their arms and opened their hearts for a good cause at the Derry Opera House during the Dancers Making a Difference benefit on Friday, Nov. 6.

The dance team, along with a few other dance studios, danced to help the raise money for the Saint Thomas Aquinas Food Pantry. The Derry Opera House donates all of the ticket sales and holds raffles and a bake sale throughout the show.

“It felt good to do something to give back,” said sophomore dance team member Joey Tannalfo.

This year $1,100.00 was donated to the Saint Thomas Aquinas Food Pantry.

“I feel happy and fulfilled when I perform,” senior dance team captain Hayley Peters said. “I love being able to benefit a great cause.”

The dancers have been participating in this fundraiser for almost 10 years, and it’s an event that dance team adviser and English teacher Mrs. Wooding said she “loves going to each year.”

“I think the team had to do a lot to squeeze on such a small stage, and so I think they were able to make it still look really cohesive,” Mrs. Wooding said. “I was sitting in the way back and I thought it looked fantastic.”

Each year, almost every form of dance is shown in Dancers Making a Difference, including tap, battle, jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical.

Wooding said she likes seeing the girls dance in different styles.

“They really wow me,” Wooding said. “It was really refreshing for me to see how multi-talented the girls are. They can perform for the school, but they kind of change it a little bit when they’re on stage and when they know that the audience is a little bit different from their peers. That’s always fun for me.”