It is hard to believe that last week we celebrated the 10th Annual Dancing Into Dreamland with a Tournament of Champions.
I know some of you are thinking, “Ten years?” And…yes! We founded the non-profit, Friends of Dreamland, in 2009 and, that same year, held our first Dancing Into Dreamland fundraiser in the Governor’s Mansion, with then-Governor Mike Beebe.
The idea to celebrate our 10th year by hosting a tournament of Champions was the brainchild of our faithful photographer, Richard Davis. And what a good idea it was! With many of the evening’s guests being returning supporters, having these previous champions come back to dance in the winner’s circle was akin to a Dancing Into Dreamland homecoming. And the prize was a whopping $1,000.00.
Ticket sales were better than ever, and people came from New Orleans, Dallas, Memphis, and even Boston, MA for this event.
We kicked off the evening with an exhibition from the YouTube sensation Katie Sunshine. At intermission, we listened to poet laureate, Chris James, recite his uplifting poetry.
Last month, my son, Matt, and I met Chris at a fundraiser for the non-profit called Celebrate Maya Project that honors the legacy of a great Arkansan, Ms. Maya Angelou.
In my welcoming speech that evening, I felt it fitting to quote from Ms. Maya Angelou. She said, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
That night, from 7 pm – 10 pm, love abounded…jumping hurdles, penetrating walls and fulfilling our destiny of saving and re-purposing the Dreamland Ballroom.
See more photos on the Dreamland Ballroom Facebook Page
