Ailey II and other National Artists Arrive to Celebrate 20th International Association of Blacks in Dance Festival
City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs is the Presenting Sponsor
January 18, 2008
DALLAS – Over 700 members of the international dance community will flock to Dallas as the International Association of Blacks in Dance convenes January 23-27, 2008. This festival is celebrating 20 years of service in the dance field, and will provide educational and entertaining forums for a culturally diverse group of artists, corporate supporters and arts patrons at the Westin City Center-Dallas, the Majestic Theatre and DBDT’s newly renovated Arts District facility.
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACKS IN DANCE (IABD) preserves and promotes dance by people of African ancestry or origin, and assists and increases opportunities for artists in networking, funding, performance, education, audience development, philosophical dialogue, touring and advocacy.
The International Association of Blacks in Dance was founded as a direct result of an artistic development grant to Founder/Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown (Philadanco). Ms. Brown felt that a gathering of the Black Dance Community would serve not only her needs, but also needs of other Black Dance professionals. In 1988, Ms. Brown along with the Philadanco staff launched the 1st International Conference of Blacks in Dance. Eighty professionals attended. Today, the conference has grown to include an average of 600 participants from across the country, Europe, South America, Africa, Australia and the Caribbean. The conference has been held in California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, New York City, and Canada.
Arts administrators and independent artists will benefit from the panel discussions held Thursday – Saturday. Expert corporate and artistic moderators will lead discussions on several pertinent topics including “How to Obtain Corporate Sponsorship,” “Alternative Careers Beyond Dance,” and choreographic workshop with Tony Award nominee Hope Clarke (Jelly’s Last Jam). Forums have been designed specifically for the youth attendees including “The Audition Process,” “To Degree or Not to Degree,” regarding collegiate dance studies, “Preparing for a Dance Career,” and “Understanding the Source – The History of Black Dance.”
The festival is not all business, however. The dancers get to learn from the best master teachers in the fields of Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Hip-hop and African dance. Chuck Davis, Darwin Prioleau, Christopher Huggins and Troy Powell are among the many instructors with whom the dancers will interact. Rising phenom, Camille Brown, will lend her talents to teaching, panel discussion and as a guest performing artist. The dancers will get to put their talent to the test when auditions are held Sunday, January 27 for several dance companies as well as renowned dance intensives Jacob’s Pillow and the American Dance Festival.
The energy and excitement of this festival will be shared with the DFW community over three evenings of awe-inspiring performances beginning Thursday, January 24, with an electrifying performance by youth companies from the across the nation including San Diego School of the Creative and Performing Arts (California), Baltimore Dance Tech (Maryland), Cleveland School of the Arts (Ohio), Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School (North Carolina) and other national dance schools. Dallas’ own Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Happy Nia Dance Theater, and Dallas Black Dance Academy will show that dance lives in Dallas, performing on the same show.
Friday, January 25, the professional artists take the stage with stirring contemporary works. Special guest artists this evening are New York’s Ailey II, Missouri-based artist Rodni Williams, Houston’s Second Generation Dance Company, Creative Outlet of Brooklyn, and Dallas’ own DBDT II and Nycole Ray will share the stage.
The festival will be topped off with incomparable performances by Camille A. Brown, Chicago’s Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and the five international IABD companies – DBDT, Philadanco (PA), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (OH), Lula Washington Dance Theatre (CA), and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (CO).
All performances will be held at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm Street, Dallas at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Tickets for Thursday’s youth concert are $45. Tickets for the Friday and Saturday professional performances are $55 each. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com, or call (214) 871-2376.
City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs is the presenting sponsor of the IABD Festival. 2007-2008 Season Sponsors are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA-TV Channel 8, American Airlines, Dallas Weekly, Downtown Business News, North Dallas Gazette, and Elite News.
About Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Dallas Black Dance Theatre celebrates its 31st Season in 2007-2008. This world-traveled contemporary modern dance company employs 12 multi-ethnic professional dancers performing a mixed repertory of modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual works. Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams, the mission of Dallas Black Dance Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. DBDT will become the resident ballet company for the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts when it opens in 2009. For more information, go to www.dbdt.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Errika Flood-Moultrie
(214) 871-2376
e.flood@dbdt.com