Here it is again, folks, the information for ROP/DEPEs 20th anniversary celebration. Come out and celebrate these wonderful youth! OAKLAND, CA, September 30, 2014 – Dimensions Dance Theater, the Bay Area’s preeminent African-American dance company for more than four decades, is proud to announce a holiday showcase of student performances in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its youth outreach program, Rites of Passage. Offering instruction in dance, music and spoken word to youth ages 8 to 18 years, Rites of Passage is the educational arm of Dimensions Dance Theater. On Sunday, December 7 the company will honor the achievements of Rites of Passage students, faculty and alumni with a program of performances titled It Takes A Village, celebrating the Bay Area’s diversity. Serving more than 850 youth each year, Rites of Passage has been recognized with a Marcus Foster Foundation Award and the Jefferson Award, known as a “Nobel Prize for public and community service.” Under the direction of Deborah Vaughan and Latanya d. Tigner, the program’s 20th anniversary celebration will showcase a variety of dance styles from Hip Hop to West African to Jazz, Tap and Ballet. Performers will include not only current participants in Rites of Passage but the Dimensions Extensions Performance Ensemble and alumni, and members of Dimensions Dance Theater, as well. The dancers in Dimensions Extensions range from 12 to 18, and are selected by audition only. The ensemble has toured to Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York and Guinea, West Africa. Additional youth groups include Chhandam Youth Dance Company, the pre-professional training and performance troupe of Chitresh Das Dance Company, and Oaktown Jazz Workshops, an Oakland-based group dedicated to passing on the tradition of jazz music to young people through music instruction and educational presentations. Through instruction in dance, music and spoken word, Rites of Passage aims to build positive, confident global citizens. Graduates of the program have gone on to become professional dancers and teachers, as well as enter the ranks of law, medicine and government. Rites of Passage is based at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts in downtown Oakland. Sessions from seven to 12 weeks run year-round at the Center and at participating schools in the Oakland Unified Public School District. Tickets for Rites of Passage’s 20th anniversary celebration range from $15 to $25 and may be purchased online atbrownpapertickets/event/879397 or by calling 800-838-3006. Group discounts are available. For more information visitdimensionsdance.org.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:07:13 +0000