XARIS DANCE, an international Christian dance company, was founded in 1996. Working from a base in Kassel, Germany, it gathers together professional dancers (this tour there will be 6 dancers from 5 nations – England, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Zimbabwe). The name “Xaris” means “gift” or “benefit” and this describes the group’s aim, which is to collect funds for charity during each tour. The dancers believe they have been blessed with the gift of dance and want to use this God given gift to help others.

Xaris Dance has been seen in highly varied venues: open air arenas, theatres, universities and sport stadiums, as well as in churches, at conferences and in schools. Their neo classical to modern/contemporary repertoire, is coloured by their differing cultures, and their work bounds from joyful themes, to urgent social dilemmas facing our world today. www.xarisdance.com

Previous tours have supported: - Aid projects in Bosnia, a Children’s Village for Rumanian orphans, Trauma relief work with Chechnyan refugees, and Kainos, a home in Gloucestershire, dealing with eating disorders.

This coming British tour (undertaken by 6 professional dancers from 6 nations) will support: -
New Beginnings International Reg.charity (Scotland) – SC034676 www.newbeginningsinternational.org
Founded in 2002, by Sarah Burnett, the project rescues needy children in Uganda and aims to provide places in boarding schools for them, by sponsorship. This provides shelter, food, clothing, care and education, which is essential to secure the children jobs in the future. The charity has plans to open a school of their own.

The performance at the Corn Exchange, Newbury on Sunday 17th October, 2004 will be a return visit for Xaris Artistic Director, Loreen Fajgel (nee Flowerdew) and Deborah Smith. They both previously lived in Newbury and went on to train at the Royal Ballet School, London, before working in theatres in Germany.

There will also be a performance at the Regal Theatre, Stowmarket on Saturday 16th October, 2004. This will support New Life Care Suffolk, which supports children’s home in Rwanda.