For the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Dianna Jones, owner and director of the Jean Leigh Academy of Dance in Denham Springs, LA, has developed a fundraising project to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that provides aid to injured military personnel. Jones came up with the idea for “Freedom Dances” last September after watching a television program commemorating that fateful day. “I started thinking about the dance community,” she says, “and I knew we could do something we’d be proud of, especially teachers, who can get students involved in something bigger than dance—giving back.”

Through Freedom Dances, Jones encourages members of the dance community to create events, such as recitals or raffles, to collect contributions and raise money and awareness for Wounded Warrior Project. And direct donations will be accepted through her site until Veterans Day, November 11. “The outreach and support from our local community has been incredible,” Jones says. “More people than I expected are willing to jump on board for a good cause.”

Jones stresses how grateful the dance community should be for those who defend our freedom. “We have an added layer of gratitude as artists,” she says. “The ability to create is everything.”  Info: freedomdances.net

Photo: Claire Albert of The Dance Refinery in Indianapolis, IN, raised $466 by setting up a Freedom Dances booth at her studio’s recital. (courtesy of Dianna Jones)