On March 18, the PAC curtain at Rye Country Day opened to a dazzling two-hour production that included over 100 dancers from the New York Ccity, Westchester and Connecticut areas.
Seven dance companies were represented, performing to benefit the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade and their anti-domestic violence campaign.
Guest performers included Some Dance Company’s Kimberly Gianelli, Katie Moorhead, Dorrie Garland and Laura DiOrio who performed a piece by the award-winning David Fernandez.
Fernandez is best known for his work dancing with Mikhail Baryshnikov and choreography for New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet and many others. His piece took traditional ballet and introduced whimsical, playful fun and a creative way offering much comic relief throughout.
Connecticut Ballet’s Marcos Vediveto premiered his first entry into choreography and brought a brilliant and powerful theatrical ballet piece.
Other companies that performed included:
- City Center Dance from White Plains, performed a strong contemporary piece, a radiant tap solo and a hip hop precision/dance team crowd-pleaser.
- Mamaroneck’s Danse Elite showcased a wonderful contemporary piece as well as a piece that very effectively presented different styles together using a large ensemble to performing jazz, musical theatre, ballet and more. They also brought an Irish step-dancing number.
- New Dance, from Rye, featured an entertaining baseball-themed piece to “Shoeless Joe”.
- Magical Movements from Harrison featured their young tap dancers.
- The Dance Works Kids Company, also from Harrison, showcased pieces ranging from modern to jazz/hip hop, lyrical, ballet, tap and musical theatre.
“I conceived this showcase several years ago in an effort to bring together the dance community in a non-competitive way to celebrate dance for a great cause,” said Wendy Wood Barletta, Harrison Dance Works director, who also directed and produced the event.
This year alone, Dance Works raised more than $4,000 for the causes.
Donations will be accepted through April and can be made securely and easily online a here (underneath the photo click on “donate now”) or here (underneath the photo click on “Make a Donation”.
Avon Foundation for Women is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. The IRS tax-exempt numnner is 13-6128447.
To contact Dance Works or Wendy email danceworks2000@aol.com.
