Encore Press Contact: Eric Hill (212) 543-1367 info@GwirtzmanDance.org

YM & YWHA Publicity Contacts: Deborah Katznelson (212) 569-6200 x 219 dkatznelson@ywashhts.org 

Washington Heights Summer Musical Theater Dance Festival
July 19-August 1, 2010

Providing solid training to serve whatever style of dance a student pursues.

One-week programs July 19-July 25; July 26-August 1

 Two-week Program July 19-August 1

at The YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood
54 Nagle Avenue New York, NY 10040

Reach New Heights IN THE HEIGHTS!  This summer, study dance in the Heights at the Washington Heights Summer Musical Theater Dance Festival, directed by Daniel Gwirtzman and his vibrant, electric company!  This is the festival that’s just the size for you.  The summer residency of the Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, the Festival, is a two-week intensive dance-training program for pre-professionals and professionals as well as dancers ages 12-18. All classes are open to the public on a drop-in basis.  No pre-registration is necessary.  Only $13/class.

THE FESTIVAL:  A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE

“The face of Broadway choreography has changed,” says Daniel Gwirtzman.  “Think of the diversity of movement styles in today’s shows, the range needed and expected of dancers.  As a DanceBreak finalist for 2010, I have observed first-hand the next generation of musical theater choreographers and the demands they are making of dancers.  As an innovator with a concert dance background, my work asks dancers to have a full set of technical, stylistic and performance skills.   This festival is about preparing the aspiring theatrical dancer for this range of choreography.”

The Festival provides a rigorous and holistic program to develop and strengthen contemporary dance and musical theater dance skills, while creating relationships with the Company and special guest artists. The Festival is geared toward students of all levels and technical abilities, from those that are passionate about a career in dance and who wish to train at an intensive level with professional teaching artists and performers, to the absolute beginner with an interest in dance and musical theater.

The Festival is an intimate program that values a low student to teacher ratio so that the emphasis of the festival is on individual growth and attention.  Another primary difference that sets the Festival apart is the inclusion of composition classes.  Enrolled students, in addition to developing their skills and techniques and learning repertory from the Company, will have the opportunity to work as a choreographer does, developing dances.

The festival emphasizes strong personal investment in each student’s dancing; we coach each dancer to reveal his or her individuality and we are focused on helping our students cultivate their performance qualities.  The festival will provide solid, intelligent technique to serve whatever style of dance a student decides to pursue; in today’s companies, and on Broadway, versatility is key.  Our philosophy is to prepare the dancer for this diversity of dance styles.

THE SCHEDULE and CURRICULUM

The festival operates Monday-Sunday, with Saturday off from all classes.  All classes are open to the public on a drop-in basis.  No pre-registration is necessary.  Only $13/class. 

9:00-9:30     Morning Meeting

9:30-11:00         Technique Class—open to the public

11:15-12:30   Repertory Class—open to the public

12:30-1:30         Lunch

1:30-3:00     Repertory Class—open to the public

3:00-4:30     Composition Class—open to the public

4:45-6:00     Master Class—open to the public—visit Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company on Facebook to see the specific schedule of guest teachers; Please note on some days, the master class and composition class times will be switched.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE ONE OR TWO WEEK PROGRAM:

1. Fill out an application, which can be downloaded by accessing our website, www.GwirtzmanDance.org.
2. Mail the completed application, with a check to:

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

720 West 181^st Street, #31

New York, NY  10033

CLICK HERE for Pasha & Daniela’s video.

Contact us at The Dancesource, or just come!  Registration can be called in, emailed in with this email, or bring the email with you in hand to:

Fashion With A Conscience

339 Lafayette St. at Bleecker
New York, NY 10012
212-533-1738
www.kddance.com
Hours of Operation: Monday-Saturday, 12pm-8pm

30 Years of Looks That Will Not Quit

When started in 1980 as a clothing line for dancers attracted the usual suspects, people who aren’t dancers but have a radar for clothes that will be just as chic in 20 years as much as the day they buy them: European women, Vogue magazine, Hollywood stylists and celebrities.

In 1980, yarn spinners tell them it’s unheard of.  West coast dancers-turned-fashion designers David Lee and Tricia Kaye invent a new kind of comfortable using the lightest yarn they can find.  The line of the body-loving looks becomes its own genre that doesn’t look or feel like anything else out there.

In 1983, the designers leave the Bay Area and move the clothing line, kd dids, to New York.  They commit to producing their line exculsively in the United States and set up their own factory in the Bronx.

This year, the shoulder-baring top that went platinum when it appeared in Vogue turns 30.  kd dids and kd dance celebrate their 30th anniversary with a new release of the “03″, the third design first created in 1980 that remains the best-selling top for the past 30 years, in organic cotton and vegetable cashmere.

             kd dance’s BLOW-OUT sale at their store
    Monday, July 19th – Monday, August 16th  

Betterfly.com is a new and free website that matches people with the teachers, trainers and instructors that can help them learn, look and feel better in over 1000 ways, from Accordion to Zumba.

There are many websites that will tell you the best dance studio, hair salon or language school to go to, but don’t tell you which instructor, stylist or tutor you should use once you’re there. 

Betterfly is perfect for the dance community. Dance teachers, whether self-employed or working with dance studios, can post class descriptions and schedules on their personal page where students can then find them and even book lessons directly through the site. Dance students can search for teachers that offer lessons in everything from Hip-Hop to Ballet, and even customize their search by price range, skill level, location as well as by types of classes. With over 1000 different ways to learn, look and feel better, Betterfly is truly for everyone.

ICONic (definition) Relating to or characteristic of somebody or something admired as an icon.

Based out of New Jersey and the ICON Dance Complex, the ICONic dance crew has quickly become one of the nations hottest dance crews. ICONic made its mark by becoming one of the top 9 crews in the country to appear on Season 1 of MTV’s Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew. After appearing on the show ICONic now performs across the country at clubs, fashion shows, benefits, industrial shows, large corporate events and more. ICONic has recently performed a tribute to Kenny Ortega at the Astaire Awards in NYC. ICONic’s other credits include Special Guests on MTV’s TRL(Total Request Live), The Tyra Banks Show, Sobe Life Water “Thrillicious” Campaign, Food & Wine Magazine’s 20th Anniversary, Unite In Fashion and the House of Roses Charity Event. ICONic has also performed live with Lil Mama at Madison Square Garden on the America’s Best Dance Crew Live Tour.

Under the direction of professional choreographer and dancer GEO Hubela, ICONic’s members possess great talent and versatility. Collectively ICONic’s members have worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, P!nk, Jessica Simpson, Jay Z, Mariah Carey, Duffy, The Black Eyed Peas, NSYNC, Daddy Yankee and Brook Hogan. They have been in movies such as High School Musical 3, Step Up, Music and Lyrics, and The Wedding Singer. ICONic’s unique style and image combined with their clean sharp moves, and powerful performance quality have the ability to draw in their audience and leave them wanting more!

http://www.icondancecomplex.com/

Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn is a professional dance company that marries rigorous classical and modern technique with African-American soul and spirit. Under the direction of Jamel Gaines, the company has been hailed by reviewers in the United States and Europe for its “richness of dance tone” and “contagious vitality. The repertoire addresses socio-cultural issues through an artistically potent mixture of theater, song, movement and poetry, and the performers imbue each work with a deep spiritual resonance.

 The company has collaborated with such artists as Michael Jackson, Malik Yoba, Max Roach, Savion Glover, and Jennifer Holiday. They have performed in major venues and festivals including The United Nations, Acapulco Black Film Festival, BAM Dance Africa, 651 Arts, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Jacob’s Pillow and Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Our artists have performed on Broadway in shows like The Lion King and FELA!,  Maafa, MTV Live with Britney Spears, Fosse and Donald Byrd’s Harlem Nutcracker.  The company has had the opportunity to tour nationally and internationally and “…was unveiled as one of the best performances of this edition of the festival,” in Spoleto, Italy – (Italian Press).

http://www.creativeoutletdance.org/

The BAX Dance Company, with artistic director Pooja Narang, performs fun and colorful mixes of popular high energy Bollywood dances. The company has worked with Slumdog Millionaire choreographer Longinus Fernandes and performed at the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards in addition to being showcased at the American Museum of Natural History, they have also made several film and television appearances, including, The Accidental Husband and on CBS’s “Early Show.”

http://www.bollywoodaxion.com

Since 2007 co‐artistic directors Corey Baker and Leyland Simmons have led an outstanding collection of dance and music artists in noted performance venues suchas the City Center Studio Showcase, The Nu\’92Dance Festival at Riverside Theater, E‐Moves 9 Showcase at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, The African Burial Ground Dedication Ceremony, Smoke Lillies Jade Arts Initiative, The Joyce Soho A.W.A.R.D. Show!, Battery Parks Downtown Dance Festival, The Garden State Festival, The Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival, City Parks East River Park Dance Series in NYC, and the 2009 International Ballet Festival of Miami.

Ballet Noir is a recipient of the 2008 Harlem Stage ‘Fund for New Work’ Grant Sponsored by Mayor Bloomberg and has been featured in Dance Magazine’s 2008 October issue along with Lois Greenfield’s 2010 Breaking Bounds Calendar. Ballet Noir’s mission is to feature artists of diverse disciplines and cultural traditions in works that reflect the kaleidoscope of expression in a 21st century America. By integrating a broad scope of musical, literary, theatrical, technological and visual artistic expression, we seek to create a relevant social experience for our audience through performing arts.

http://www.balletnoir.org/

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, the ABAKUÁ Afro-Latin Dance Company was founded by Frankie Martinez, to preserve and advance the heritage of Afro-Latin music and dance.  Martinez is widely heralded as one of the key innovators in his genre, known for his unique style of dance encompassing elements of mambo, funk, and Afro-Caribbean dance entitled “Afro-Latin Funk”.  Today, Martinez is considered an authority in the field and sought after as an instructor/lecturer throughout the world.  

Since its formation, ABAKUÁ has gone on to perform in hundreds of destinations in over 50 countries and reshaping the performing arts landscape as one of the most brilliant and exciting acts performing today.

http://www.abakuadancers.org/site/home.html

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

Ballet Noir

Bollywood Axion

Julio Jean Haitian Dance Theater

ABAKUA Afro-Latin Dance Company

Creative Outlet

ICONic Dance Crew