Smoke & Mirrors masked ball to raise funds for families living with cancer

Dance to Enhance was formed in January 2020 by Emma Louise Graham who had worked on a number of community Strictly Come Dancing fundraisers with the other members.

"We decided to form Dance to Enhance as a way to use to dance to help our community around us by either creating video campaigns or being involved with dance fundraisers,” said Emma Louise.

"Over the past four years, we have raised just over £82,000 by choreographing dance fundraising events such as Strictly Come Dancing for local charities or being involved with local schools holding danceathons for them. We held our own Cabaret show in June 2022 for Cancer Fund for Children and for Sandelford School.

"Dance has always been a part of my life and something that has always brought me joy. I love getting people to discover their love of dance and helping people realise it's not just something you can do as a kid but something, as an adult, you can use to make yourself feel good or use to raise awareness about issues.

"Dance helped me through my own cancer diagnosis in February 2000. As I was going through treatment, once lockdown had lifted, the girls and I put together a campaign piece called Love Yourself. This video was to show women of all ages that, no matter what age or size you are or what you are going through, you are enough as you are and all you have to do is just try to be you.

"Being able to keep dancing and use my cancer experience for a positive message helped me keep my sense of self through treatment and recovery along with the support of my girls,” added Emma Louise.

Since then Dance to Enhance have created other video campaigns on topics such as mental health and they have worked alongside Causeway Down's Syndrome Support Group to raise awareness about their work.

The group’s next fundraiser event is a masquerade ball called Smoke and Mirrors which will be held on Saturday, March 16 at the Royal Court Hotel in Portrush. The ball will include a three-course meal, raffle, performance by Dance to Enhance and live music by Nora Jane Music.

Emma Louise added: “This fundraiser is close to our hearts as one of our members has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and we are holding the fundraiser in her honour and to also raise money to help support her family and other families battling cancer.

"Dance has always been a positive impact on my life. It's always provided me with a way to express myself creatively as well as meeting people from all walks of life that I get to know.

"It gave me the opportunity to meet the girls who changed my life and became my family and gave each of us the purpose to then help change the community around us. So, in the words of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.....Keep Dancing!”

Tickets for Smoke and Mirrors are available now from Dance to Enhance via their Facebook page or from the Royal Court Hotel.