A NEWPORT dance group tapped and danced their way to raise £5,000 for our Sparkle Appeal.

We want to raise £250,000 this year towards a planned £6million centre for disabled children from across South Gwent, which will be built at High Cross.

And children and young people from the Vanessa Clarke School of Dance, based in Beechwood, put their best foot forward to help the fundraising.

The dancers performed to sell-out crowds at the Dolman Theatre in Newport on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the £5,000 raised by the performance going to Sparkle.

Maureen Sullivan, secretary of the dance school, said: "It was a fantastic performance and they were performing to great audiences.

"The children loved to entertain and get up on stage and perform." One hundred people took part in the performance from two-year-olds to 23-year-olds and even some of the mums in one number.

Mrs Sullivan said: "We really enjoyed the few nights and we raised money for Sparkle."

The dancing school donate money to charities every year and this year chose the Sparkle Appeal after reading about it in the Argus. She said: "We saw it in the paper and thought 'Now is the time to make the contribution'.

"We help all charities but it's nice when the children are performing to help other children who may not be quite as able."