For 30 years, The Steadfast Tin Soldier has been a part of Dance Fremont’s story—and a part of this community.

Generations of dancers have stepped onto the stage in this production. For many, it’s a first performance. For others, it’s a return. It’s where young dancers find confidence, where families gather, and where a shared love of dance comes to life each winter.

But behind the scenes, what makes this tradition possible has been quietly wearing down over time.

The costumes—hand-tailored, repaired, and reused year after year—have carried this story for three decades. They’ve been altered, mended, and cared for again and again.

At times, keeping them performance-ready has required quick fixes and a bit of backstage ingenuity. A zipper on one of the Swan costumes once burst just before a performance, leaving only enough time to sew the dancer into the costume before she went on stage—while an understudy stepped in for hermid-show when a quick change to her other role became impossible. More recently, fabric on some of the Tarantella Mouse dresses has worn so thin that stitching no longer holds, requiring last-minute repairs with a hot glue gun to get through the performance. From the audience, everything looks seamless. Behind the scenes, it’s often a race against time.

Now, they need real restoration to continue.

This fundraiser is about preserving what has made Steadfast so meaningful for so long.

Your support will go directly to helping repair and rebuild these costumes so they can continue to be worn by the next generation of dancers—keeping this production accessible, vibrant, and alive for years to come.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier is more than a performance. It’s an opportunity for every dancer in our program to be part of something bigger—to work together, to grow, and to share their art with the community. It’s also a critical part of sustaining Dance Fremont, helping fund the programs, scholarships, and inclusive training that define who we are.

Dance Fremont is a non-profit community dance school that has been serving Seattle since 1996. With over 200 students ages 3 to 79, we are committed to making high-quality dance education accessible to all—regardless of background, identity, or financial means.

When you give, you’re not just repairing costumes.

You’re helping carry forward a tradition.

You’re supporting dancers—past, present, and future.

And you’re ensuring that Dance Fremont continues to be a place where joy, creativity, and community come together through dance.