HEUVELTON -- Mikayla Pike, daughter of James and Dawn Pike of Heuvelton, a SUNY Potsdam sophmore majoring in dance and minoring in psychology, is raising funds to attend a prestigous 3-week dance program in Florence, Italy.

Pike recently auditioned with Alambrado Danza to attend the three-week long Florence Summer Dance workshop and was accepted. Alambrado Danza is a Florence, Italy-based not-for-profit organization which offers dance seminars, courses, performances and cultural exchanges.

The opportunity will provide Pike with the experience of learning with students from all over the world and working with renown dance instructors. At the conclusion of the workshop, she will perform on stage in a live performance.

Pike started dancing at Julie’s Dance Studio in Ogdensburg at the age of 5. In her first year of college, she did an internship at St Lawrence NYSARC in which she choreographed a dance and also performed dances with residents at a show at one of SUNY Potsdam’s theaters. Pike’s long term goal is to be a dance movement therapist with her own business.

The Heuvelton dancer needs to raise $5,000 for the trip; the cost to attend the program is $3,200 plus her flight arrangements.

Towards that end, she is launching several fundraising efforts, including a donation account set up at Perry’s Bottle Redemption Center, various basket raffles and a bowling tournament at Ogdensburg Bowl March 5 at 2 p.m. with a Chinese auction and 50/50 raffle. Bowlers can contact Ogdensburg Bowl at 393-9704 to sign up a 5-person team.

To donate to Pike’s efforts, send contributions to Mikayla Pike, P.O. Box 107, Heuvelton 13654.

For more information about Florence Summer Dance, log on to http://www.florencesummerdance.com/Florence_Summer_Dance/homepage.html.