Top dancers headline annual gala

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Excitement is mounting as the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda prepares to host its annual gala at the Fairmont Southampton tomorrow.

The signature black-tie event provides a glittering night out for supporters and guests of the registered charity, of which the entertainment segment is the highlight.

Organisers are confident that this year’s programme will be just as memorable as its predecessors.

Pierre Dulaine, founder of the acclaimed Dancing Classrooms curriculum, and inspiration for the hit film ‘Take the Lead’, is a featured guest.

Also appearing are 12 young dancers from his Dancing Classrooms Youth Company, who will perform a choreographed demonstration of ballroom dancing.

Mr Dulaine’s successful introduction of a ballroom dancing curriculum into New York inner city schools was the subject of a film starring Antonio Banderas, as well as the award-winning documentary, ‘Mad Hot Ballroom’.

His highly successful Dancing Classrooms’ curriculum has also been adopted into schools throughout the US, South America and Israel. It uses dancing to teach middle school students life skills, including respect and civility. The organisation’s mission is to build social awareness and self-esteem in children through dance.

Bermudian dancer and DanceBermuda alumna Dominique Anderson is returning home to partner with Haitian-born dancer Gaspard Louis in a contemporary duet.

Miss Anderson is a past recipient of a Catherine Zeta-Jones scholarship, and a Bermuda Ballet Association commemorative award. Mr Louis is a former member of the Pilobolus Dance Company, and the current education outreach director of the American Dance Festival. He is also the founder of the contemporary dance company, Gaspard&Dancers, of which Miss Anderson is a member.

DanceBermuda alumni Katherine Williams and Jose Sebastian, both of whom dance with the American Ballet Theatre, will perform the pas de deux from the ballet ‘Le Corsaire’.

Miss Williams was recently named as one of 25 dancers to watch in 2012 by ‘Dance’ magazine. The prestigious list includes outstanding dancers earmarked as being among the best in the current generation of performers.

The annual gala is the NDFB’s major fundraiser, proceeds of which are used for its training and scholarship programmes, including its summer intensive, DanceBermuda.

“Working with our many partners in the community, including the Fairmont management and staff, as well as a team of volunteers, we are able to present an elegant evening, while at the same time keeping costs to a minimum,” foundation chairman Don Kramer said. “We’re very proud that over 70 percent of the funds generated by the gala go directly to the support of our training and scholarship programmes, including DanceBermuda.”

To purchase tickets ($275 per person) telephone 236-3319 or e-mail springle[AT]dancebermuda.org.

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