February 22nd, 2010 by soul4dance

Bates Dance Festival

Bates Dance Festival

Programmes:
• Young Dancers Workshop (ages 14-18) June 25- July 16
• Professional Training Program (ages 18 and up) July 17-August 8
• Youth Arts Program (ages 6-17) July 19-August 7
• Performance &; Events Season July 5-August 7

For twenty-seven years, the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, Maine, has welcomed dancers from across the country and around the world to “Study with the best!” Its founders knew from the outset that inviting the field’s most outstanding dance artists to come and teach would be a key to the program’s success.

The Bates Dance Festival brings together an international community of choreographers, performers, educators and students in a cooperative community to study, perform and create new work. The Festival offers a supportive atmosphere for creative exchange of ideas, encouraging exploration of new ground and providing opportunities to experience a wide spectrum of dance. Artists, students and audiences share their knowledge and inspiration through workshops,  discussions and performances.

The Bates Dance Festival is comprised of four interwoven programs: two professional training programs including the Young Dancers Workshop (YDW), the Professional Training Program (PTP); a main-stage performances series featuring dance artists from around the world: and community activities including the Youth Arts Program with dance and music training, and the Community Dance Project that invites local residents to participate in an intensive creative collaboration with a choreographer and Festival dancers. Commissioning and residency projects support new works by established companies, emerging choreographers and international artists.

February 9th, 2010 by soul4dance

Birmingham Dance Festival-2010

International Dance Festival is coming to the city for the second time, running for four weeks from April 19th to May 16th, 2010. The first festival in 2008 was a huge success, seeing 60 performances from 20 countries take place in venues across the city showcasing a range of dance styles from the popular to the cutting edge. We spoke to festival co-director, David Massingham, about his hopes for next year’s dance explosion.

David Massingham, artistic director of DanceXchange, is also co-director of International Dance Festival Birmingham along with Stuart Griffiths, chief executive of Birmingham Hippodrome. Massingham nurtured the first seeds of the festival and saw it grow into one of the biggest dance festivals in the world – putting Birmingham on the map as a stage for groundbreaking and exceptional dance.

Last year’s festival attracted some 25,000 people from all over the UK and used venues across Birmingham including the Town Hall and Victoria Square with 60 performances over four weeks. Alongside the shows, professional workshops and educational sessions encouraged newcomers to experience dance activities and develop dance partnerships. The economic impact on the city was huge, bringing an estimated £4.3 million to Birmingham.

IDFB 2010 will bring great dance to venues and public spaces across the West Midlands, enabling audiences to see a vast array of stimulating international work that would otherwise be out of reach, and introducing people of all ages to healthy dance activity through exciting participatory events. Through the exceptional range of work on offer, IDFB will connect with the region’s diverse population, inspire local pride and attract visitors to the city. In so doing, IDFB will raise aspirations, benefit the local economy, and enhance the cultural life of the region.

Through the outstanding quality of its work and the partnerships that support it, IDFB is the perfect showcase for the rich dance infrastructure of Birmingham and the West Midlands, supporting the West Midlands’ Culture Programme for 2012, and presenting an incredible opportunity to celebrate Birmingham as a world destination for dance.

February 1st, 2010 by soul4dance

Spotlight Dance Cup

                 The Spotlight family is more excited for the 2010 season and setting out to “Conquer the World” and has invited you to join the competition.

                 Spotlight Dance Cup provides a positive, fun, family-friendly environment where each dancer reaches new heights and accomplish their goals. Dance Cup also acknowledges the teachers and parents who generously give their time, talents, and support. The company has worked harder than ever to ensure that your experience with Spotlight Dance Cup 2010 will be out of this world!

Events Schedule:

National Finals:

Midwest National Finals - Branson, MO - Jun 13-19, 2010
Pacific Northwest National Finals - Seaside, OR - Jun 27-Jul 1, 2010
West Coast National Finals - Las Vegas, NV - Jul 6-10, 2010