Students to support local human trafficking charity through dance performances

A collective of 30 Grand Valley student dancers and choreographers will capitalize on the excitement of live dance performances as a way to raise money for a local charity.

Every semester, the Momentum student dance organization holds multiple dance events to benefit a charity organization, such as Hands for Haiti, Camp Aranzazu and Arts in Motion. This semester, the group will be supporting The Hope Project, an organization based in Muskegon that offers rehabilitation programs and aftercare services for victims of human trafficking.

“The purpose of Momentum is to utilize our passion for dance to benefit the lives of other people,” said Mackenzie Matyn, a senior who is majoring in dance and management information systems, and president of Momentum.

Performances of the Momentum Dance Concert will take place April 6 and 7 in the Dance Studio Theatre (room 1600), located in the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts. Admission to these performances is free, but donations will be accepted.

Jayma Carney, Momentum vice president and a junior majoring in dance and athletic training, said that these performances are also valuable experiences because each performance is produced by the students involved.

“We put so much outside time into doing something we love, and it is so exciting to be able to show a completely student-run performance twice every year,” said Carney, from Ortonville. “When I describe Momentum to others, I say that it is an organization made by dancers, for dancers. All of the people involved are so extremely talented, and we all just love to dance.”

For more information about the Momentum Dance Concert, contact the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department at (616) 331-3484.