HARTFORD, CT – September 3, 2020 – Connecticut Dance Alliance (CDA) will host
the state’s first National Dance Day on Saturday, September 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. at Webster Walk at Blue Back Square in West Hartford. The free outdoor event
celebrates the joy of dance and showcases the diversity of dance in Connecticut while
also encouraging fun and healthy body movement and creative expression. The rain date
for the event is Sunday, September 20.
National Dance Day will feature live performances and workshops from Connecticut
dance studios, companies, and independent performing artists; dance literature book
presentations by Connecticut authors; a Dance-Me-a-Story demonstration for young
children; and a gently-used/new dancewear fundraiser. Connecticut Dances – A Visual
History , a touring exhibition jointly presented by CDA and the Connecticut Historical
Society, will also be on display.
"The Connecticut dance scene has been continuously growing due to the hard work of
many devoted artists. It is so important to keep that momentum going, especially in
light of current events,” said Katie Bittner, resident artist with the Hartford Dance
Collective - one of the many local dance organizations participating in National Dance
Day.
The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. with Read & Reverence, a socially distanced reading
demonstration for children ages 3 to 7 presented by students from the Hartt School at
the University of Hartford. The program includes a reading of New York City Ballet’s
The Sleeping Beauty picture book, a brief movement session, and concludes with a
photo session for each child with the program leaders to remember the special day.
Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet, Graceful Planet Studio of Dance, Studio8Sixty, ATTAK
Dance Company, and Immix Dance Project have also been added to the robust roster of
diverse dance organizations and performers participating in the event. They join
previously announced performers and workshop facilitators, including: Karrington
Trice, Fred Astaire Dance Studio West Hartford; Dimensional Dance; The END
Ensemble; New England Ballet Theatre; Baila Con Gusto CT; Evjen Academy of
Performing Arts; GUSTO Dance; The Hartford Dance Collective; CREC Greater
Hartford Academy of the Arts; CT Tap Collaborative; Leslie Frye Maietta; Arthur
Murray Glastonbury; and Ballet Hartford performing with its new Pre-Professional
Division.
National Dance Day will follow all current Connecticut COVID-19 mandates for outdoor
public events. Members of Dimensional Dance will demonstrate their unique and
beautiful way to comply with regulations to guests. The Connecticut Dance Alliance is
asking all participants and attendees to wear protective face coverings to ensure
everyone’s safety. For more information on National Dance Day, visit
https://www.ctdanceall.org/ .
About the Participating Artists: