SPARKcon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DanceSPARK 09 Greatly Expands Repertoire and Dance Instruction

RALEIGH (August 31, 2009) DanceSPARK has expanded into a much larger program this year that encourages appreciation as much as participation. From ballroom dancing classes in the street, to outdoor hoola hooping to stage performances and an entire 2 day dance academy of lessons, this year’s danceSPARK will try to get everyone into dance one way or another. DanceSPARK has been organized by Autumn Mist through a large network of dancers and instructors throughout the Triangle. Following is the lineup:

Ballroom Dancing in the Street

Juan Matta of Arthur Murray Dance Studio will lead three 35 minute dance sessions outside on Fayetteville Street from 5 to 7pm on Saturday Sep 19. The dances will be: Salsa, Swing and Tango. Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy the fall air!

Hoops in the Air

Come join Hoop instructor Caroleena and get that body wiggling to a drum circle! Caroleena will bring hoops to share  – a favorite for kids and those who love to strengthen their core.

Dance Academy at Raleigh Ensemble Players

Join in the fun! Children and adults are invited to participate in a variety of free dance classes offered through the danceSPARK Dance Academy. See the below schedule for class descriptions, including any skill-level or age restrictions. Many classes are open to students with no previous dance experience! We encourage you to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of each class as space is limited and participants will be admitted in order of arrival. Here is the schedule:

9am-10am: Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement by Bob Boyd

10:15am-11:45am: Modern Dance Technique by Autumn Mist Belk
12pm-1:15pm: Jazz Dance Technique by Gerren Mobley
4:15pm-5:30pm: InterPlay by Ginny Going & Tom Henderson

Super Small Dances

Super Small Dances is a series of small-scale dance concerts produced in REP’s upstairs studio space. Code f.a.d. Company and Footnotes Tap Ensemble present selections from their repertory, including a sneak preview of Code f.a.d. Company’s newest evening-length work Indulge. Each concert in approximately an hour long, and includes time for audience questions at the end of the show. Space is limited in the REP space, we encourage audience members to arrive 15-20 minutes prior to show-time to secure a seat. Schedule at Raleigh Ensemble Players Theater:
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 2pm

Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 6pm

Main Stage Dances

danceSPARK presents a variety of dance entertainment on the SPARKcon main-stage. Prior to the Poetry Slam, enjoy a short selection of dance and acrobatics performed by Acroentertainment, nosi DANCE theatre, Footnotes Tap Ensemble, and Code f.a.d. Company.

About the Performers

Acroentertainment combines balance, acrobatics, and juggling with creative body movement. Founded in 2007, what started as a whimsical collaboration project between Kaci Torres and Katie Magee, began to attract attention. Sharing an enthusiasm for street performing and a desire for play and physical activity, Acroentertainment evolved. With their roots in partner yoga, gymnastics, and circus fundamentals, Acroentertainment explores oppositional forces in balance and expressive body position while maintaining a lively, entertaining atmosphere. Acroentertainment is currently based in Raleigh, NC.

Code f.a.d. Company (where f.a.d. in an acronym for film—art—dance) is a group of artists committed to combining film, visual art, and dance into precisely designed performance experiences. Artistic Director Autumn Mist Belk is a choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, and graphic designer and has previously shown her choreography and visual artwork in venues across the southeastern United States. Belk earned her B.A. in dance and studio art from the University of Alabama and her M.F.A. in dance from the University of Maryland. In addition to leading Code f.a.d. Company, Belk serves as the Assistant Director of the Dance Program at NC State University, where she teaches improvisation, modern and post-modern dance technique, and acrobatic conditioning. For more information on Code f.a.d. Company, including the October premiere of the evening-length dance and film work Indulge, visit codefadcompany.org.

Footnotes Tap Ensemble (FTE), a non-profit professional tap company, was founded by Robin Vail and Mimi Benjamin in 2002. The Ensemble’s mission is to promote, educate and perform this truly unique American dance art through annual Ensemble Concerts, Community Concerts and Tap Workshops. FTE continues to gain recognition through out the Triangle and the tap community for its varied and highly acclaimed repertoire and affordable workshops teaching “classic tap.” Footnotes has commissioned works from Michelle Dorrance, Josh Hilberman, Robert Perera, Dorothy Wasserman, Lane Alexander and Gene Medler; Director of the highly acclaimed North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE).

About SPARKcon:

SPARKcon showcases local creative talent in the NC Triangle. For four days, Raleigh’s Fayetteville St, public spaces, clubs and stages will be filled with art, music, dance, film, fashion, design, proposals, and more.

Celebrating local cultural richness and empowering action through an open-source approach to collaboration and cross-pollination, SPARKcon is not a funded city program or an economic development stunt. It’s completely grassroots and by the people for the people! Join us as we explore the creative spirit of the Triangle!

Contact information:

Autumn Mist

autumnmistarts@gmail.com