The Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) and two of the nation’s most renowned performing arts centers, The Music Center in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will celebrate National Dance Day (NDD) on Saturday, July 27, 2013. Launched in 2010 by “So You Think You Can Dance” (SYTYCD) co‐creator and DFF co‐president Nigel Lythgoe, NDD is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. This grassroots campaign encourages Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health and combat obesity.
“My goal is to get people on their feet, as much for health reasons as for artistic reasons,” said Lythgoe. “National Dance Day is for everyone — individuals, families and communities — to come together, be physically active and celebrate the art of dance.” NDD achieved national recognition when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D‐DC), a long‐time proponent of healthy lifestyles, announced at a press conference on July 31, 2010, in Washington, D.C., that she was introducing a congressional resolution declaring the last Saturday in July to be the country’s official National Dance Day.
As its official contribution to NDD, each year DFF produces and distributes instructional videos featuring dance routines for the public to learn. DFF encourages anyone and everyone to learn the routines and perform them on NDD. This year, film director, producer and SYTYCD judge Adam Shankman choreographed an “Everybody Dance” routine for people of all levels of ability; this routine features the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell. Additionally, SYTYCD choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo have created a “Hip‐Hop Master Class” routine for those who want to challenge themselves; this routine features the song National Dance Day Celebrations “Live It Up” by Jennifer Lopez.
Both routines can be found on DFF’s YouTube channel; both tracks can be purchased on iTunes. DFF also encourages the public to submit videos of themselves performing the routines. Select videos may be included on SYTYCD and can be submitted via Dizzy Feet Foundation Facebook page. DFF is partnering with two of the country’s premier performing arts centers, The Music Center and the Kennedy Center, to host official NDD events on July 27. At each event, dancers will lead the crowd in both routines, after which time the public is encouraged to participate in an array of dance‐related activities. In Los Angeles, DFF and The Music Center will present a program of festivities at Los Angeles County’s beautiful new civic space, Grand Park, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Emceed by Shankman, the event will feature the two interactive dance routines, led in person by Lythgoe and Shankman as well as Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo. Grand Park visitors will also experience the novelty of dancing in the splash pad of the park’s fountain during a series of dance classes and be treated to a special performance by Los Angeles‐based dance company, Still Motion, led by SYTYCD choreographer, director and dancer, Stacey Tookey.
Since National Dance Day is for everyone, those who want to celebrate are encouraged to create their own events to share with their families and communities, from flash mobs, dance‐a‐thons and charitable dance events to parents and children sharing a fun moment of dance at home. Furthermore, to mark this year’s events, DFF has partnered with Revolution Dancewear and its soon‐to‐be launched Dance Direct US brand to create a special limited‐edition NDD shirt designed by DFF board member, Stephen “tWitch” Boss (SYTYCD, “Step Up Revolution”). The shirts will be available for sale on July 27 at Grand Park and the Kennedy Center, as well as online at Revolution Dancewear’s special Dance Direct US site at http://dancedirect.com/ndd.
About The Dizzy Feet Foundation The Dizzy Feet Foundation was established in 2009 by Nigel Lythgoe, Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Katie Holmes, among others, to support, improve and increase access to dance education in the United States. Guided by a board representing all aspects of the American dance community, the foundation’s mission is threefold:
(1) To sponsor, fund, and/or support dance education programs that expose children in underserved areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education through and with local community organizations;
(2) To provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios or institutions;
(3) In conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations, to support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States. The Dizzy Feet Foundation is a nonprofit, tax‐exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization. (Federal Tax Identification No: 26‐ 4501295).