By Danielle Nelson

*This article is posted on The Express Times website.

Dancers Ciara Alford, left, Sapphire Salandy, center, and Keayana Lavender, all of Easton, practice a routine for the Easton Dance Team on June 5, 2014, in Easton. The team is trying to raise $2,000 to $3,000 per member to go to Hawaii, where they were invited to take part in a dance contest. Photo Credit Troy Strozeski

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Whether it’s R&B or reggae music, the SWAG Dancers will always find dance moves to match.

Easton Area High School’s Students With Artistic Genes has performed at numerous events including at Kutztown University in November alongside college students, Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem in February for the NAACP, and at a concert that was hosted by Easton Area High School in May.

“We have been dancing since the sixth grade,” said team member Najee Barclay.

The dancers are looking for donations since they were invited to perform in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade, a Hawaiian festival in December. The 10-member team is looking for nearly $3,000 per person to cover airfare and accommodations.

“Someone saw us at Northeast and told our adviser about it,” Saphire Salandy said.

The team said that they will take on jobs over the summer as they look to save for the trip.

It takes about two weeks to learn routines and they dance to music like “Partition” by Beyonce and “Certain Law” by Mr. Vegas.

While the team looks to save money and do fundraisers, they will continue to learn more dance moves. “Dance is our life,” Salandy said.

The other members of the team include Ciara Alford, Keayana Lavender, QiShaan Young, Makita McFarlane, Kaylah Pankey, Rolando Soto and Troy Singleton.

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HOW TO HELP

Make checks out to the Easton Area High School Dance Team and send them to Easton Area High School, 2601 William Penn Highway, Easton, PA 18045.

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