INNISFAIL – Every little girl dreams of being a princess.
Dancers with Joy's School of Dance shared some Disney magic last Saturday (Dec. 16) with a Princess Tea at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
The two-hour Disney-themed fundraiser raised money for an upcoming trip to Disneyland in February 2018.
“We sold all the tickets we printed off, so there's about 120 people here today,” said Joy McIlwain, owner of the Innisfail dance club. “They're all having fun.”
A total of 30 dancers, including 16 Disney princesses, one Disney character named Lumiere, and 13 servers all took part in the Princess Tea.
Children were invited to dress up as princesses, prince charmings or young dwarfs and join the Disney characters for the fun-filled afternoon tea.
“We wanted each princess to look as traditional and original as they're supposed to be,” said McIlwain. “We're very pleased with the support and the efforts that all the parents and dancers put in ahead of time.”
Senior dancers dressed as princesses while some of the intermediate dancers, aged 12 to 15, were helping out as servers.
One princess was 16-year-old Shelby Mackie, who played Cinderella during the event.
“It's a good fundraiser. It's great to see all the little kids dressed up and see their reaction when they saw the princesses,” said Mackie. “It's really nice to give back to the community.”
Families enjoyed tea, sweet treats, sandwiches and princess cake during the event.
“The princesses came in individually so that everyone could have a chance to meet each of them. They each went to their table and once they were all introduced, we had them do a little welcome,” said McIlwain, noting that each princess chose a theme song from their movie for a short performance on stage.
In addition, each child also received an “unbirthday gift” (as noted in Alice In Wonderland), and there were photo opportunities for children to have their photos taken with a princess, as well as princess-themed games and crafts.
“It's such a blessing to see how supportive everyone is for these dancers,” McIlwain concluded.
Joy McIlwain, owner
"It's such a blessing to see how supportive everyone is for these dancers."
