The Venus Rising dance troupe brings Middle Eastern dance to First Baptist Church of Southington Saturday evening. In addition to the entertainment, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes were served.

Over 40 students from Miss Cindy’s Dance Center of Southington were busy this holiday season learning and performing several routines at local assisted living facilities, including Mulberry Gardens and The Orchards. The students, ranging in age from four to 15, donated their time for several weekends to rehearse the different dances and were happy and excited to make the holidays a little brighter for others in their community.

Donna Bonasera, artistic director of Connecticut Dance Theatre in Watertown, announced that 11-year-old Southington resident, Lauren Carney, will play the part of "Young Clara" in CDT's production of “Clara and the Nutcracker,” for two performances at 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Taft School, 110 Woodbury Road, Watertown, in the Bingham Theatre. The daughter of John and Megan Carney, she is a sixth-grader at John F. Kennedy Middle School and has been a member of CDT since the age of 3. Tickets are $15 and $20. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact CDT Studios at (860) 274-0004.