Festivals of Dance: New Movement

As you know I am pursuing my masters degree in Entertainment Business and last week one of my school assignments was discussing a potential project we would love to work on in our respective industries. Well, being my industry is performing arts my chosen project was creating a performing arts dance festival for the Central FL area that would bring all performing arts schools and centers together to showcase various talents to the community. The performing arts festival would be a great opportunity for the community to gain a deeper understanding about the various performing arts, i.e., music, dance, theatre, etc, and get a sneak peek into what each performing arts school and/or center have to offer to their community. After completing my assignment I did some research on the various dance festivals offered throughout the U.S. and learned that many cities offer spring, and summer, dance festivals that bring dancers, teachers, and choreographers together to learn and expand their talents. I was amazed at how many dance festivals there were and how uniquely different each one was, as each festival offered something the other didn't, yet all had a common theme which was bringing the dance community together and creating a new movement. The festivals not only allowed dancers, teachers, and choreographers to come and learn, but also to explore new movement that would push the dancer beyond what they know now. Here are a couple festivals I came across that really stood out for their creativity and purpose:

Bates Dance festival is a festival that brings an international community of dancers, performers, teachers, and choreographers together to study and create new movement. The Bates dance festival has been around for over 30 years working to provide a place for such creativity to be explored and learned. One of the best aspects of this festival is the community dance project which is open to the local residents to participate and work with the choreographers. 

In Philadelphia the 954 Dance Movement Collective hosts an annual World Dance Day Festival that brings dance to the local community. The World Dance Day festival showcases a variety of dance styles and performances by local dancers, performers, and choreographers that donate they talent for free. This year is the 4th annual festival and will be showcased on April 29th. So if you're in the Philadelphia check it out and share your experience below! 

As I work towards the opening of the A. Quinn Performing arts center I look forward to the day we host our first annual performing arts festival that will hopefully become part of the festivals of dance new movement.

Thanks for reading!

xo,

LaKesha

A Little Bit More

So, its been a minute since we posted and what better way to catch up than share a little bit more about A. Quinn Performing Arts!

First, the name of the performing arts center is after my great-great grandfather A. Quinn Jones, who was the first African-American principal of the first African-American high school in Alachua County. A. Quinn is the father of my great-grandmother Vera Rogers, who also was an educator. So, in honor of my great-great grandfather, with the approval of his surviving son and daughter, I chose to name my performing arts center after him, in order to continue his legacy. For more info on A. Quinn Jones please visit http://aqjmuseum.org .

The dream of the A. Quinn Performing Arts center has been long in the making and now we are in the beginning processes of bringing the dream to life! As a dancer/performer my desire has always been to be able to pour into the next generation of dancers/performers, and the A. Quinn performing arts center will do just that. Our mission is to train, teach, and develop future leaders of their respective industry. As well, create a place that all children, regardless of economic background, can learn the arts, while providing a safe haven to the community. My hope is that the performing arts center will also serve as a place for children to study and receive tutoring to help in building discipline and a motivation to excel in every area of their life.

So journey with us, as we work to bring forth a lifelong dream. Next up, securing our nonprofit status and beginning the grant writing process. Stay tuned for updates and weekly articles on the arts and culture community.


Thanks for reading, please feel free to share.

xoxo,

LaKesha Rogers


Dedication of the A. Quinn Jones home that was turned into an educational museum http://youtu.be/Eh0BAhX_6y8