Jolly Squad spreads local holiday joy

Young dance volunteers perform in December

‘TIS THE SEASON—Thrive Dance Center’s Jolly Squad will be out in full force this yuletide season.

‘TIS THE SEASON—Thrive Dance Center’s Jolly Squad will be out in full force this yuletide season.

Thrive Dance Center’s Jolly Squad, in its seventh season, is in full swing this December.

More than 100 dancers from Thrive Dance Center in Newbury Park volunteer their time and talent every year to put together and perform a 30-minute holiday song and dance show at community events and 10 assisted living facilities in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks areas.

The dancers are 4 to 18 years old. The squad includes both beginning and advance level dancers.

The Jolly Squad will perform at Atria Hillcrest, Thousand Oaks Royale, Bellmont Village, Hillcrest Royale, Grand Oaks, Sunrise Westlake Village and The Reserve.

The Jolly Squad, led by Thrive Dance Center co-owner Jennifer Maples, is part of the schools’ ongoing community outreach.

Throughout December, the center will also host its annual food drive to benefit the Manna Food Bank of Thousand Oaks.

Members of the Jolly Squad will entertain the volunteers at the Santa Comes to Agoura, Westlake and Beyond Food Drive in Agoura Hills.

In September this year, over 100 Thrive Dance family members gathered for the annual beach clean-up at Zuma Beach.

Thrive also collects candy for the troops in October and blankets for the animal shelter in February.

For more information on the Jolly Squad or the Thrive Dance Center, visit thrivedancecenter.com or call (805) 375-9988.