Register Your Child for Dance Classes Now

Do you have a child who loves to dance? If so, now is the time to channel that young energy into a professional dance class with City Dance.
     For the past 18 years, the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ City Dance Program has provided complete training for aspiring dancers of all ages. It also trains the City Dance Theatre, a youth dance company that has been nationally recognized by the DanceAmerica organization and won numerous regional and national awards.
      City Dance is now accepting new students through October 12. The program offers highly affordable classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and a variety of other dance styles for children age 3 and older.
     Adult classes are also available in Pilates, Zumba, African Dance and Belly Dancing.
     For more information on classes and registration, call 646-3673, or download the department’s Program Guide from www.RichmondGov.com/parks. You can also pick up copies of the Program Guide at City Hall, all City libraries and community centers, and at the following Kroger and Martin’s grocery stores:
 
·         Kroger 3507 West Cary Street, Richmond, 23221
·         Kroger 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, Richmond, 23230
·         Kroger 901 North Lombardy Street, Richmond, 23219
·         Martin’s 7035 Three Chopt Road, Richmond, 23226
·         Martin’s 3522 West Cary Street, Richmond, 23221

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City Dance Theatre to Perform

The City Dance Theatre Company, the award-winning youth dance company sponsored by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, will present its annual concert at the Grace Street Theater on Saturday, May 25 at 7 p.m.

     The program, “Lest We Forget,” will include a variety of pieces ranging from modern dance to lively jazz. The production will feature the choreography of Rodney Williams, who along with Annette Holt is co-director of the company, and Talita Jackson, who teaches dance for the department.

      “These young dancers are top-notch,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. “I was amazed the first time I saw them perform. I doubt there are many municipally-sponsored groups as good as these young dancers anywhere in the country,” he said.

      Currently, the company consists of 21 young dancers ranging in age from nine to 16. Through the years, the company has consistently won numerous awards in the regional and national DanceAmerica competitions, and it is typically the only municipal-sponsored company to compete. This year in the regional competition, City Dance Theatre Company won 10 first place awards and two second place awards.

      Tickets to the annual concert are $20 and can be purchased at the door. All proceeds from the event will be used to help pay for the company to travel to compete in the national DanceAmerica competition this year in Chicago.

     The company is also available to perform at community events. For more information on this, call (804) 646-3673.

      Grace Street Theater is located at 934 W. Grace St.

Department's City Dance Theatre Wins Regional Awards

City Dance Theatre, the department's youth dance troupe, won an award for every piece they performed in Portsmouth at the DanceAmerica Regional Competition, that was held the weekend of March 1.

     The troupe performed 12 pieces, and of these, ten received first place trophies and two received second place trophies. This more than qualifies the company of young dancers, who range in age from 9 to 16, to compete in the national DanceAmerica competition to be held in Chicago this summer.

      In addition, Keola Jones received the award for the highest scoring junior female soloist, and Monay Boisseau received the award for the highest scoring senior female soloist. These awards qualify both youth to compete for the title of Dancer of the Year in Chicago.

     The company received six additional special recognition awards:

·         Judges Overall High Score Award for “Lest We Forget”

·         Best Emotional Execution for “Lest We Forget”

·         Best Costume for “Metemorphose”

·         High Score, Intermediate Large Group Modern, for “Run Mourners, Run”

·         High Score, Intermediate Small Group Lyrical, for “For All We Know”

·         High Score, Intermediate Duo/Trio Lyrical, for “Precious Lord”

     A traditional Hawaiian dance staged by Trenna Jackson also qualified for the nationals in the Ethnic/Folkloric category.

     “I am extremely proud of the City’s Dance Theatre youth and instructors,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “Their dedication, determination and commitment to excellence has aided them in winning these awards and recognitions in the DanceAmerica Regional Competition. It is my hope that all residents recognize the accomplishments of these youth and wish them well as they travel to the national DanceAmerica competition.”

     The pieces were choreographed by Rodney L. Williams and Talita Jackson, who teach for the department’s City Dance Program at its Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center. Annette Holt manages the dance program for the department’s Cultural Arts Division.

     City Dance Theatre has a long-standing history of winning awards in both the regional and national DanceAmerica competitions having collected more than 100 first place trophies.

City Dance Theatre to Perform

January 21, 2010
The Department's national award-winning City Dance Theatre, composed of young dancers ranging in age from 9 to 17, will perform in the following upcoming programs.
On Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan 24, at 3 p.m. they will perform in “Lights Up!,” a celebration of youth and the arts at Richmond CenterStage in the Carpenter Theatre. The concert will also feature performances by the Richmond Youth Symphony, the Virginia Youth Opera, the Richmond Ballet, SPARC and others.
On Saturday, Jan. 30, the young dancers will perform in the Virginia Dance Festival, which is hosted annually by the Jessica Morgan School of Dance at James River High School. The performances are at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the door.
City Dance Theatre will also be a part of the fifth annual youth Educoncert, Generation Dream 2010, honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Educoncert is presented by the Richmond Youth Peace Project, a joint project of the Richmond Peace Education Center and Drums No Guns. Performances are scheduled at the VCU Singleton Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m., and at the Henrico Theater, 305 E. Nine Mile Road in Highland Springs, on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. A $5 per family donation to help defray expenses is requested for Thursday’s performance, and admission is free for Saturday’s show.
For more information on City Dance Theatre, call Annette Holt, manager of the department’s dance program, at 804-646-3673.