Fairfax County Dance Coalition 4th Annual Gala Showcase

Fairfax
County’s Got Dance!  On Saturday evening, October 12 at 7:30 pm at
the Ernst Cultural Center (Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale
Campus) the Fairfax County Dance Coalition (FCDC) comes together for its annual
performance event packed with talent and inspiration.   A Celebration of Dance stars the broad
variety of dance that Fairfax professional and pre-professional dancers create,
as well as honors dance scholarship winners and, for the first time, an
emerging choreographer.   

Now in its
fourth year running, the FCDC’s showcase presents a lively and entertaining
production featuring twelve companies and a mix of ballet, tap, jazz, modern,
musical theatre and international dance styles. 

Participating
companies include:  BalletNova, Center
Stage Dance Company, Dancin’ Unlimited Jazz Dance Company, Encore Theatrical
Arts Project, Gin Dance Company, Lasya Dance Company, Metropolitan Youth
Ballet, Nrityanjali Dance Company, The Ballet Arts Ensemble of Fairfax, The
Fairfax Ballet, The Kintz-Mejia Academy of Ballet and the Virginia Ballet
Company. 

A
brief reception is open to audience members following the performance in the
upstairs gallery. 

FCDC
is growing “tradition.”  For the third
year, the FCDC is partnering with the Arts Council of Fairfax County (ACFC) to
award two $1000 scholarships to 2014 high school graduating seniors from among the FCDC member
companies, planning to pursue studies in dance. 
The scholarships can be used toward college tuition, or for professional
training at a summer intensive. The scholarship winners will be announced at
the Gala. 

FCDC also
honors the first winner of their Emerging
Choreography Contest, Stephanie York, for her piece “White Out,” which was
performed at the Gala last year by the Dancin’ Unlimited Jazz Dance Company.  Ms. York graduated from Shenandoah University
and teaches dance at area studios. 

The FCDC is a collaboration
among 16 dance organizations to date and is dedicated to raising awareness of
the quality of dance in Fairfax County through the Gala performance, student
scholarships, educational workshops and advocacy.  “The FCDC has grown over the last few years
as dance activity has grown in the county” says FCDC President Caroline Frankil
Warren (Executive Director of BalletNova). “By supporting the communication
between dancers, choreographers, companies and schools, we foster collaboration
which results in a stronger community presence for dance and, indeed, all the
arts.”