 BY ALEX CABRERO, KSL TV | DECEMBER 4, 2020 AT 10:34 PM UPDATED: DECEMBER 7, 2020 AT 10:02 AM BOUNTIFUL, Utah – While holiday concerts will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact from one event will be greater than one Utah family ever expected. There’s a special bond between identical twins. Kate and Ellie, both 3 years old, share everything. “Team twinkles,” said their father, Marcus, with a smile. It will make it that much sweeter when they both share stories of how they beat cancer. “We had a few little rough moments,” said their mother, Megan. “There’s been some harder phases that they went through, and they were definitely hard. But overall, they are doing really well.” Kate got it first in October 2019. Then, this past March, Ellie was diagnosed with it. Her parents, who didn’t want their last names to be known, said Ellie just had to have what her sister had. “They love to be identical,” said Marcus with a laugh. Having cancer is tough enough. But having it during the COVID-19 pandemic — the family took their other three children out of school and went into isolation. “Having two little girls that don’t have an immune system and trying to figure out how that works and that’s still a crazy part right now,” said Marcus. Even crazier is when they got a call from a school their children don’t go to, from people they don’t even know, wanting to help. “It’s kind of a learning process to be able to accept other people’s help. You want to feel self-sufficient,” said Marcus. However, Jana Monson, who runs Creative Arts Academy in Bountiful, said helping a family in need is something her school does every holiday season. So, when she heard about these twins, she knew which family her students were going to help this year. “Our goal and our mission here is to have the kids use their talents to give back to the community,” said Monson. “Their story just touched our hearts to have two children with cancer.” The school is hosting a fundraising virtual concert with its students. They’re even doing a silent auction where every penny raised will help Kate and Ellie with their leukemia treatments. “It’s amazing and it’s a blessing to see how many people have come together to help us,” said Megan. “We can’t thank them enough.” It’s a reminder that people care. And twins, together, can beat anything.“We try to find the good. Because there’s always good if you’re looking for it,” said Megan. The family said chemotherapy treatments will continue for two years. They’ll have a better answer to how their children are doing in 2022. 
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 Jana Monson
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  | Congratulations to our Touring Company on an amazing weekend @nuvodanceconvention in Anaheim! GROUPS: Join Us (1st Mini Line & Best Mini NU Group), I Know (3rd Mini Line), Wanderlust (1st Junior Group), Public Service Announcement (DJ’s pick, 3rd Junior Line, 1st Hip Hop, & Best Junior NU Group), Between Two Selves (DJ’s pick, 2nd Teen Group) Disappearance (DJ’s pick, 3rd Teen Line), Judgment Day (3rd Teen Production), North Side Gal (2nd Teen Production), Out (DJ’s pick, 1st Teen Production, 1st Jazz, Best Teen NU Group, Studio Pick) BREAK-OUT SCHOLARSHIPS: Mini breakout artist runner-up: Rainee Allred, Ava Box, Harley Burbach, and Olivia Leavitt Junior breakout artist runner-up: Allie Andrew, Ella Holland, Emma Schipaanboord, and McKinley Tidwell Teen breakout artist runner-up: Hailee Andrew, Jane Dickson, Nick Heiner, and Makena Landon Teen breakout artist winner: Ella Horan and Grace Seljestad Elise Monson (1st Senior solo) Ella Horan (3rd Teen solo) Grace Seljestad and Emma Schipaanboord (3rd Junior duo) Emma Schipaanboord and Allie Andrew (4th Junior solo) Die Hard Scholarships by Chantel Aguirre Winner Ginny Shaw. Class Scholarship Winners: Camryn Page, Ava Leavitt, Sophie Leavitt, Mia Peterson, Ava Lawson, Julie Dickson, Gabriella Jensen, Ainsley Painter, Austyn Bazzano, and Natalya Jensen Studio Scholarships Winners: Ashlie Pike #creativeartsacademy #caatouringcompany |
 | Every year, the CAA’s amazing dance companies put on a Benefit Concert to honor and raise money for local families or organizations. It is always such a special night as our dancers use their talents to reach out and make a difference in the world around them. On December 2nd, we are so humbled to be dancing to honor two incredible little girls whose story and spirit have and will continue to change lives – Rosie and Molly Robinson. Rosie and Molly were born about three months ago as conjoined twins. Through every moment of their lives, they have defied expectations and inspired everyone around them. The teams of medical professionals who helped with their birth and who took care of them after felt honored to be in their presence. The strength, heart, and love these little girls brought into this world truly changed the lives of those who interacted with them. From the moment of their birth, these two girls were the best of friends – always hugging and kissing each other, holding on to one another through all of the tests and procedures they had the endure in the NICU. They never let go of each other until a medical emergency made it necessary to separate them. Tragically, due to this medical emergency, sweet Rosie passed away. Now Molly is living for herself and for Rosie and is fighting for an amazing future worthy of such brave and heroic little souls! We hope all our CAA families will join us on December 2nd as our dance companies perform to bring light to Rosie and to bring hope to Molly. In addition to a beautiful performance honoring these two amazing girls, we will be holding a bake sale and silent auction to help with their extraordinary medical costs. This truly will be an event to remember, changing the lives of everyone who attends. You won’t want to miss it! |
Congratulations to Susan Robinson for winning Sterling Scholar in Vocal Performance and Elise Monson for winning Sterling Scholar in Business and Marketing. We are so proud of our CAA dancers and that they are so multi-talented!
   | Congrats again to all of our Touring Company members who competed at The Dance Awards in Las Vegas! Mini Musical Theater -- 1st place -- Capture the Flag Mini Hip Hop -- 5th place -- Soldier; Mini Hip Hop -- 2nd place -- Ninjazz; Mini Extended Line -- 3rd place -- Ninjazz; Mini Extended Line -- 2nd place -- Capture the Flag; Performing in Gala Show -- Capture the Flag Senior Trio -- 4th place -- Vacant; Senior Trio -- 1st place -- You Were There With Me' Junior Contemporary -- 5th place -- What They Call Love; Junior Contemporary -- 3rd place -- Humans; Junior Ballet -- 4th place -- Allegra; Junior Line -- 5th place -- What They Call Love; Junior Line -- 2nd place -- Humans Teen Musical Theater -- 1st place -- For the Love of Cats; Teen Ballet -- 2nd place -- Les Bijoux; Teen Hip Hop -- 4th place -- Back to the Future; Teen Production -- 4th place -- Back to the Future Senior Group -- 2nd place -- Una Noche Mas; Senior Group -- 5th place -- Brother; Senior Line -- 2nd place -- Red Room; Senior Contemporary -- 1st place -- Red Room; Senior Contemporary -- 3rd place -- Una Noche Mas; Senior Jazz -- 4th place -- It's Not Right; Performing in Closing Gala -- Red Room |
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 | We are excited to announce that our 2016 Benefit Concert will be for Arliana Weber, a beautiful 5-year-old girl fighting Neuroblastoma - an aggressive form of childhood cancer that affects the nervous system. This concert will be held on Saturday, December 3rd at Viewmont High School so be sure to save the date! Arli is a gorgeous, joyful, inspiring little girl and we are so honored to be Dancing for Arli in our Benefit Concert this year! |
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