The Barnegat High School varsity dance team is holding a fundraiser tonight to raise much needed funds for a trip to the Universal Dance Association national competition in Orlando.

The fundraiser is taking place at Spiaggia e Luna, 696 East Bay Avenue, from 5-10 p.m. Ten percent of all dine-in meals will be donated towards the Dance Team. 

In order to attend the UDA competition, which takes place from February 2 - 6, the team needs to raise $15,000, according to Dance Team Head Coach Michelle Clerico. 

"We've been doing this through many different fundraisers since September," Clerico said. 

An additional fundraiser, a Zumba event, is scheduled for Tuesday. The cost is $10 per person at the door, and it will be led by high school alumni and former dance team captain, Heather McKenna. The event will take place in the high school gym 2.

The team expects to have two additional as yet unscheduled fundraisers this year, according to Clerico.

"We've also had so many donations from people, organizations, and businesses in Barnegat," said Clerico.  "We are so thankful for all of the support the community has given us."

On Saturday, members are hosting a dance team competition at the high school at 2:30 pm. Teams from throughout the state are registered to compete and perform.   

In the spring, the dance team will have another dance show to benefit senior scholarships. The high school and middle school dance teams as well as other students from the high school  community will perform various dances to showcase their talents. 

There are 16 dance team members who perform at all home football games and one home basketball game a week. They've also performed at pep rallies and various special events such as Relay for Life, the Cecil B. Collins School Fall Festival, and the Barnegat Carnival.

The team qualified for nationals at UDA dance camp in August at Monmouth University after ending the week with the most total awards.