Zephaniah Dancersin trip of a lifetime

Deborah Anderson, front centre, pictured with six of the seven members of her Zephiniah Dance Troop who are off to Israel at the end of the month to perform at a church conference in Tel Aviv. Included are back row from left, Carla Murray, Emily Jones, Sara Jo Loney and Sarah McAlpine. Front from left, Sarah Hamilton, Deborah Anderson and Kirsten Downes. Amy McAlpine was unavailable for the photo. INPT41-205.

And as part of fundraising before their visit they are holding a coffee morning and cake and bun sale in Portadown Town Hall today (Saturday) from 10-1.

The girls - Sarah McAlpine, Sara Jo Loney, Sarah Hamilton, Carla Murray, Kirsten Downes and Emily Jones - will be dancing at the Gathering of the Clans in Tel Aviv.

The meeting of Christian Celtic countries including America and Australia is organised by Rose and Kevin Sambrook, who invited the Portadown group to the event.

Dance teacher and dance school founder Deborah Anderson said, “We will be representing our country and our own town of Portadown.”

The girls, aged 17-23, will also be accompanied by parent Amber Jones and are hard at work preparing for the event.

They will be performing on the three days of the conference as well as on the closing night, treating the delegates to a mixture of Irish and Zephaniah dancing.

The cross-community group will also take a couple of days to do some sight-seeing including a trip to the Dead Sea.

On their return, it will be straight back to work again, practising for the dance school’s show in Portadown Town Hall on Friday and Saturday, November 24 and 25.

Entitled ‘Honour’, the show will celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Zephaniah Dancers and is a way of ‘honouring’ and saying thank you to everyone who has helped and contributed down the years.

Tickets for Saturday night are sold out but there are some left for Friday night. They can be bought through Zephaniah Dancers Facebook page or Deborah Anderson School of Dance.