"I can't tell you how excited I am to be performing with dancers from the Island's schools."

So said Catherine Zeta-Jones of the 14 young Bermudians who will be joining her in her first dance performance in Bermuda of a song and tap number from the Broadway musical 'Mack and Mabel' during the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda's (NDFB) annual gala tomorrow evening.

The acclaimed actress, dancer and Bermuda resident is a former national tap champion in the UK. She also won an Academy Award as 'Best Actress' for her role as Velma in the musical 'Chicago'.

A dedicated and active member of the NDFB board, Miss Zeta-Jones' decision to perform at the gala came from discussions several months ago with its chairman, Mr. Donald Kramer, about a theme for this year's event.

"We felt it was important, in these difficult times, to celebrate those things that lift your spirits, and dance falls squarely into that category," the actress said.

"That's how we came up with the theme of 'Dance Your Troubles' away. We also talked about how we'd like to feature tap dancing, and to do a sort of tribute to tap. I love to tap, so this seemed a perfect time for me to get involved in the actual performance at the gala."

In fact, it was Miss Zeta-Jones who established the annual black-tie gala, 'An Evening with Catherine Zeta-Jones', in 2005 as a major fund-raiser for the NDFB. With each year, its success has grown, as has the entertainment segment which follows the formal dinner.

"The funds raised at this event support DanceBermuda, which is now considered one of the best summer intensive programmes," Miss Zeta-Jones added.

Referring to the auditions for this year's summer intensive, which take place in the Jessey Vesey Centre's dance facility at the Bermuda High School for Girls on Sunday (see separate story), the Hollywood actress is encouraging "all serious dancers in Bermuda" to attend.

"The chance to train with some of the world's best teachers, right here in Bermuda, is something dancers shouldn't take for granted, and I hope all of our talented students audition this Sunday," she said.

Meanwhile, Miss Zeta-Jones has been training for the past month with the 14 dance students from the In Motion School of Dance, the Jackson School of the Performing Arts, and the Somerset School of Dancing who will back her on stage at the Fairmont Southampton Princess, and she is clearly enjoying the experience.

"We are having way too much fun, but we're also working very hard because we want to give our guests at the gala a very special performance," added Miss Zeta-Jones.

"The students are well trained, and a pleasure to work with. I think I'm enjoying it even more than they are!"

Despite her international star status, however, Miss Zeta-Jones said tomorrow evening's performance was not all about her.

"It's been a very collaborative process, and I have received great support from Sal Hodgson at the Somerset School of Dancing, and her tap instructor Sarah Terry. It's been a wonderful experience, one that I'll treasure forever," she added.

The Tom Ray Band is again providing live music for the evening, and Miss Zeta-Jones also has high praise for its eponymous leader, with whom she has been working closely.

"Tom is an absolute joy to work with," she enthused. "He's a consummate professional. He can play just about anything, and he's a perfectionist, as I am. So we're very much in sync with what we want to do with this performance."

The programme will open with advanced DanceBermuda students Anna Clifford and Krystal Smith in a variation from the ballet 'Raymonda', which they performed at last year's DanceBermuda summer intensive.

In addition to Miss Zeta-Jones, who also hosts the gala, the entertainment will feature other local and international performers in segments showcasing ballet, tap, and contemporary dance.

Bermudian dancer Courtney Lopes will premiere 'Wally', a piece choreographed especially for her by Jessica Lang, who is on the faculty of both the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and DanceBermuda, and also teaches at the Juilliard School.

Miss Lopes, a former student of the In Motion School of Dance, was the 2008 winner of the L. John Profit Scholarship. A graduate of the Carolina School of the Arts, she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at New York State University at Purchase.

Visiting dancers April Giangeruso and Brian Waldrep of ABT II will perform the pas de deux from the ballet 'Swan Lake'.

The second half of the programme will be a tribute to the art of tap dancing. Entitled 'A Tribute to Legends in Tap', it will open with Miss Zeta-Jones' and the Bermuda dance students' performance of 'Tap Your Troubles Away' from 'Mack and Mabel'.

They will be followed by Bermudian tap dancer Rikkai Scott, a student of United Dance Productions, with accompaniment by Capoeira musicians. Mr. Scott is the recipient of a scholarship provided by Broadway dance legend Debbie Allen.

The tribute will end with a performance by tap superstars Jason Samuels Smith and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, who are regarded as two of the world's finest tap dancers.

Emmy awardee Mr. Smith has starred in such Broadway shows as the Tony Award-winning 'Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk'. An original member of Savion Glover's N.Y.O.Ts (Not Your Ordinary Tappers), he has performed at the White House for a former US President, appeared on the Regis and Kathy Lee show, and was the featured dancer in the opening commercial for ABC's Monday Night Football.

Mr. Smith also participates in international dance and music festivals, and has created his own intensive tap programme at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. Most recently, he choreographed for 'Dancing with the Stars', and performed on the Fox hit series, 'So You Think You Can Dance'.

Mrs. Sumbry-Edwards' career includes acclaimed runs in off-Broadway and Broadway shows, among them 'Black and Blue' and 'Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk'. She also performed in the national tour of 'Wild Woman Blues' and Debbie Allen's 'Sammy' about the life and times of Sammy Davis, Jr. Her many film credits include 'Tap' with Gregory Hines, and Spike Lee's 'Bamboozled', on which she was the assistant choreographer. Her choreography was also utilised in Michael Jackson's music video, 'Rock Your World'.

Most recently, Mrs. Sumbry-Edwards was nominated for best actress and currently stars in the award-winning independent film, 'The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang'. She was also featured on MTV's hit television series, MADE.

The gala will conclude with music for dancing. A few individual tickets ($275) are still available. For further information telephone 236-3319.

The event is supported by corporate Bermuda (both local and international companies), whose sponsorship makes it possible for tuition for DanceBermuda to be affordable. Corporate sponsorship also funds scholarships to DanceBermuda.