Her Will Lives On

Emily Silverman truly believed that everyone could dance. The young woman from Kansas City dreamed of opening a studio that welcomed people as graceful as herself, as well as the clumsy and the physically impaired. “Even if someone in a wheelchair could only move one finger, she said she’d create a dance for that one finger because it’s self-expression,” says Sammi Esterman, spokeswoman for Em’s Spotlight, the organization that Silverman’s parents founded after their daughter’s death in 2003 at the age of 19. Through Em’s Spotlight, underprivileged children get to attend dance lessons with professional instructors and perform, in costume, at a recital. This year’s recitals take place at 7 p.m. today, August 6 and August 7 at the Scottish Rite Temple (1330 Linwood, 816-561-2277). Admission is free, though donations are encouraged. For more information on Em’s Spotlight, see emilyfoundation.org.— Crystal K. Wiebe

Wed., Aug. 5, 7 p.m.; Thu., Aug. 6, 7 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 7, 7 p.m., 2009