In the past two years, dancer and choreographer Krista Langberg and her developer husband Terry Chance have been buffeted by sobering news. The parents of two girls, now 9 and 7, they found out in January 2009 that Terry, who started a boutique construction company called Site Assembly, has brain cancer.

Just over a year later, Langberg, an adjunct professor at Macalester who has danced with companies in New York and Minneapolis, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Their struggle has galvanized friends and admirers in the arts community. On Saturday, Dec. 4, volunteer organizers and performers will put on an all-day extravaganza to celebrate the pair and to raise funds for the family.

Langberg studied at Macalester in 1985 and graduated from the Swedish Institute in New York. She was a principal dancer with Susan Marshall & Company in New York for eight years ending in 2002. She returned to the Twin Cities in 2003. She originated roles in "Les Enfants Terribles," a collaborative piece by Susan Marshall and Philip Glass. She has also performed at the Edinburgh Festival and at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

The all-day event, to be held at the Southern Theater, starts off with a family day that includes cooking workshops and film screenings for children as well as silent auction. There will also be food from Brasa, Restaurant Alma as well as a silent auction for gift certificates and art.

The evening roster features performances by such companies as Zenon, Hijack, Karen Sherman, Mad King Thomas, Morgan Thorson, Chris Schlichting, Jane Shockley and Mathew Janczeski. There will also be screenings of films by Phil Harder followed by a hipshaker dance party with DJ Greg Waletski.

The events are 2-6 p.m. and 8-11 p.m., Dec. 4, Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Av. S., Mpls. 612-568-4496 or www.kristaandterry.eventbrite.com. An admission donation of $25 is suggested.