First City Dance fundraiser aims to send team to nationals

First City Dance is turning to Bemidji for help paying the costs that come with sending young dancers to a national competition in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Denim and Diamonds Bingo is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 31, at Bemidji Eagles Aerie #351, 1270 Neilson Ave. SE, with food available for purchase from noon to 1 p.m. The event is open only to people 18 and older, and outside food and drinks are not allowed.

The fundraiser is being run by the studio’s competition group as it prepares for nationals in June. For families involved in competitive arts, the pressure is not abstract: travel, costumes and entry fees can pile up fast, and a local bingo night becomes part of the financial bridge that keeps a Bemidji team on the road and in the competition lineup.

First City Dance Studio says it offers both recreational and competitive programs, and its competitive dancers spend several hours a week in the studio. Competition tryouts take place in August during the summer Dance Intensive, underscoring that the path to nationals is built through year-round training, not a short seasonal run. The studio’s 2025-26 calendar runs from Sept. 2 through June 4, which puts the fundraiser near the end of a long season.

The competition team has included 35 dancers ages 8 to 18, and the group has traveled throughout Minnesota and North Dakota before advancing to nationals. That travel pattern helps explain why a local fundraiser matters: every hotel room, van ride, costume and registration fee lands on the same families and the same studio budget.

The national trip also comes with a hard deadline. New York City Dance Alliance lists Lake Geneva registration with a March 25, 2026 deadline and says entries are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. In a setting like that, a hometown event such as Denim and Diamonds Bingo is more than a social gathering. It is a direct way for neighbors to keep a Bemidji arts program moving toward a larger stage.

Bemidji Eagles Aerie #351 adds another layer of local support. The nonprofit fraternal organization hosts meals, bingo, events and community space, making it a familiar place for residents to gather around a cause that reaches beyond one studio and one competition season.