Local Dancers Picked for Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Update, Sunday, Nov. 4: The New York-bound dancers raised over $1,000 at their garage sale Saturday. "The garage sale was a hit!" said Teresa Loney in an email. "The girls raised over 1000.00 and will be donating some to the Red Cross for NY City."

A group of 11 teen dancers from the the Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito and Kensington area has been selected to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

The participants, aged 16-19, have been students at Katie's Dance Studio in El Cerrito for a long time, some since kindergarten.

They'll be participating in the high-energy dance performances featuring hundreds of young dancers, all female, from across the country staged by Spirit of America Productions.

The week-long trip includes not only intensive rehearsing but also a chance to see the sights.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," dancer Sheridan Loney of Kensington said in a comment emailed by her mom, Teresa Loney. "I'm so excited. I've never been to NY and can't believe I'll actually be in the parade we always watch on TV on Thanksgiving morning!"

The dancers are holding a garage sale Saturday, Nov. 3, to raise money for the trip. It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 748 Arlington Ave. in Berkeley.

Their New York itinerary in the days before the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 22 includes a Broadway show, the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, the option to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center and other Manhattan delights.

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