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Black Tie International:
NYC Dance Alliance
National Convention Closes
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Broadway's Shannon Lewis,
Michael Demby-Cain, Ramona Keller,
Joe Lanteri, Adrienne Warren, Katie Thompson, Marty Thomas
Photo by ProPix
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2011 NYC Dance Alliance National Convention Closes
with Rousing Finale
Unprecedented $ 2.8 Million in College Scholarships
Awarded to Young Dancers
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Following a
dazzling opening number featuring Broadway stars & hundreds
of young dancers from across the country, Costa Rica &
Canada, Joe Lanteri Executive Director of the NYC
Dance Alliance Foundation got to the real “meat” of the
Closing Evening Gala at the Sheraton New York, the
announcement of the college and university scholarship
winners By the end of the segment, a mind boggling total
of $2.8 Million in scholarships were awarded to the most
promising young dancers.
Going into this
year’s Convention, Lanteri had vowed to double the $500,000
given last year and to crack the $1 Million mark. Thanks to
the perseverance of his team, faculty and Lanteri himself
and the extraordinary efforts of several of the
participating colleges and the NYC Dance Alliance
Foundation, the figure moved up to the amazing total of $2.8
Million by the middle of this week. In making the
announcements, Lanteri –termed the evening “a life-changing
night
for all”.
As
announcements were read, the cheers became deafening and
many grateful parents wept openly at the largesse of the 17
year old organization in helping to make their children’s
dream realities. NYC Dance Alliance Foundation’s mission of
empowering the
next generation of professional dancers by advocating
education and offering scholarships for secondary and
college training was never more fully realized than on the
stage of the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton last night.
The Closing
Night Gala of the 17th Annual NYC Dance Alliance
Foundation was an over the top, not to be missed Finale
featuring America’s most talented young dancers and Broadway
stars – many of whom are NYCDA alumni.
Following a week
of intense workshops with the country’s top choreographers,
teachers and Broadway performers; auditions for such Broadway shows as
Billy Elliot, Memphis, Come Fly Away, Annie & Peter Pan
and the Radio City
Christmas Spectacular and dance competitions for college
scholarships,
hundreds of the country’s most promising young dancers the
next generation
of dance world stars participated in the Finale and Closing Night Gala.
Joining the next
generation of dance world stars were Tony nominee Orfeh,
“Legally Blonde”; Shannon Lewis, currently in “How To
Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” , Michael-Demby
Cain, “Smokey Joe’s Café”; Ramona Keller, “Smokey
Joe’s Café”; Grammy nominee Marty Thomas of
“Wicked”, Adrienne Warren “Dreamgirls” and acclaimed
singer/songwriter Katie Thompson.
Highlights of
the gala include the showstopping Teen and Senior Opening
Number; Teen and Senior Finalists performing for Critics'
Choice & Outstanding Dancer Awards; Grand Prizes and Cash
Scholarships; National NYCDA Teen and Senior Critics' Choice
Awards announcements ; National NYCDA Teen and Senior
Outstanding Dancer Scholarships presented; stunning solo and
group performances and a super smooth tap number “Bojangles”
by last year’s multi - scholarship winner and former “Billy
Elliot” star Corey Snide who will be attending
Julliard this fall thanks largely to NYC Dance Alliance. There
were also Guest Performances from
the cast of
“Memphis”,
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
and Rasta Thomas and The Bad Boys of Dance.
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