MDC Kendall to present Artistry in Rhythm Dance Conference

Put on your dancing shoes. Miami Dade College (MDC) will present its fourth annual Artistry in Rhythm: Engaging the Community (AIR Dance Conference) in an effort to create an innovative training program for dance artists and a laboratory for choreographers. The festival will take place Mar. 26-28 at the Kendall Campus.

The scholarly dance conference will explore the significance of community engagement through the vernacular of dance, encourage community growth and development, and enhance professional development within an academic setting. It will consist of a host of master dance classes, lecture/ demonstrations, and performances.

Among the guest artists will be John Parks, former member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company and professor at the University of South Florida; Dr. Thomas DeFrantz, artistic director of SLIPPAGE and professor of African-American studies/ dance at Duke University, and Anjali Austin, ballet professor at Florida State University. Other artists include: Vanya Allen, Pioneer Winter, LeVern Washington, Marissa Nick, Toranika Washington, Njeri Plato, Elaine Wright and the Miami City Ballet.

The conference also will offer somatic work with Polestar Pilates and The Falls Yoga with Sam Levine. AIR participants will experience dance technique classes in contemporary ballet, belly dance, jazz, swing, hip-hop, Afro-Haitian, liturgical dance, contemporary modern dance, somatic body work, choreography/dance composition, and panel discussions.

The opening gala concert, Rethinking, Revitalizing and Reforming American Dance in the 21st Century, will honor Parks on Thursday, Mar. 26, 7:30 p.m., in McCarthy Hall, Room 6120.

The Friday matinee at 11 a.m. is a free event showcasing selected student choreographic works. At 7:30 p.m. the same evening, the conference will feature the works of Florida State College, Miami Dade College Kendall Campus and Mays Conservatory Dance programs.

The conference is open to middle school, high school and college students, as well as the community at large. The cost of the conference is $25 for students with an active Miami Dade College ID and $55 for all other guests. The fee includes registration for three days of dance and a ticket to the evening AIR dance concert. Classes will take place Mar. 26-28 from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Nightly performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

On-line registration for the AIR Dance Conference is available at https://tickets.completeticketsolutions.com/MDC/Online/default.asp. For more information, call 305-237-2638 or send email to airdanceconference@gmail.com.


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