what’sup withdance


highlights OnAugust 13, 2014, the eastern end of Flora Streetwas renamed AnnWilliamsWay in honor of the founder and former artistic director ofDallasBlackDance Theatre. The ordinance, unanimously passed by theCityCouncil ofDallas, changes the name of the street betweenArts Plaza andWoodallRogers ServiceRoad onOctober 14, 2014.Considered the gateway to theDallasArtsDistrict, Flora Streetwas once known as the hub of theAfricanAmerican Community.Historically known as “NorthDallas,” the areawas originally the settlement of freed slaves. St. PaulUnitedMethodist Church,Booker T.WashingtonHigh School for the Performing and VisualArts, andDallasBlackDance Theatre offices (formerly the Moorland YMCA) are the only remaining structures fromthe time period.


ChuckDavis, founder of DanceAfrica and past guest artist for Dance Planet,was honored for outstanding service to the field of dance at the 30th annualBessieAward ceremony onOctober 20, 2014 at theApollo Theater inNewYorkCity.Officially known as the NewYorkDance and PerformanceAwards, theBessies are often regarded as the dance-world version of theAcademyAwards. Known asBabaChuck, he created the dance festival,DanceAfrica, at theBrooklynAcademy ofMusic in 1977.Mr.Davis established DanceAfrica celebrations inAtlanta,Dallas,Washington,Denver, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.DanceAfrica is the largest such festival in the country. This fallmarksDavis’ final year as artistic director of the festival.Davis namedAbdelR. Salaam, the executive artistic director and a co-founder of Forces ofNatureDance Theater inNew York, as his successor.


Pictured:Dance Institute ofDallas


David Fisher, former assistant director atDallas’Office ofCultural Affairs, is serving asOCAInterimDirector replacingMaria Muñoz-Blancowho resigned fromthe position onOctober 3, 2014 to take a newjob in Florida.Dallas officials are conducting a national search to fill the position.DuringMuñoz-Blanco’s nine yearswith theOCA, the city office opened theOakCliffCultural Center and theDallasCity PerformanceHall.


LindseyHarwell and SergioTapia-Fikes,BTWHSPVAAlum andDCNT ScholarshipRecipient,make theirDallas debutwith BrianBrooksMovingCompany onNovember 21-22, 2014 whenTITAS brings the company to theWinspearOperaHouse.


BalletConservatory student,Olivia Lambert,was accepted toBooker T.WashingtonHigh School for the Performing andVisualArts.Olivia will be a junior dancemajor and attendedABT summer intensive in NewYork this summer.


InAugust 2014,Katarina Jakimierwas awarded theGirl Scout’s 2nd highest honor, theGirl Scout SilverAward, for her pointe shoe recycling project.Katarina is a student at TexasBallet Theater School inDallas.


Pictured: ChuckDavis


in themetroplex In celebration of their 25th season,Norma Shields,Artistic Director of theDance Institute ofDallas andAssistantDirector LeiaHardimon, have opened a beautiful, newprivate studio in NorthDallas. The facility includes two spacious studios; a rehearsal hall completewith a stage drapery and track lighting; dressing roomswith lightedmake-upmirrors; a private studio for Pilates, Essentrics, personalwarm-up and private lessons; a corporate office conference room, and four hundred square feet ofwardrobe storage space for custommade costumes. The studio is the home of ballet- foundation—a 501c3 professional ballet company.Dance Institute and balletfoundation focus on giving through their classes and out- reachministries.www.danceinstituteofdallas.com/ www.balletfoundation.com/


WE’RE SOCIAL! FIND US ON FACEBOOKANDTWITTER! page 26 Nov-Jan 2015 www.thedancecouncil.org


Pictured:Olivia Lambert


ChamberlainPerformingArts celebrates its 30thAnniversary Season of buildingClassical Foundations for Life®


. In addition Pictured:Katarina Jakimier


to its 2014-2015 Seasonwith per- formances in Plano, Frisco and McKinney,Chamberlain PerformingArts presents benefit performances to each of itsmajor productions to underserved chil- dren and families; offers Shining StarsDanceClasses to children with special needs; offers free weekly after school dance classes inmultipleCollinCountyBoys and


GirlsClub locations; awardsmerit and need-based scholarships to Company students to ensure their continued training; and awards outreach and education scholarships to gifted students in their Relevé dance programto pursue training atChamberlain School of Ballet.


DallasBlackDanceTheatre introduces a newbrand.Gone is the box that once encased the dancer and organization name. DANCE!NORTHTEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol 17 • no 4


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