Gear Up for National Dance Week

Kim Lavongha, age 7, won one of the first NDW poster contests …d’aawwwww!

April may be a couple months away, but it’s not too early to start prepping for National Dance Week, which runs April 24–May 3. To give you some ideas, the NDW Foundation has already begun announcing the ways you can get involved in the celebration of dance and fitness:

1.
Participate in the NDW essay and poster contests. Essays should be 250–500 words and answer one of two prompts: 1) Why is dance so important in your life and how has it helped you in other aspects of your life?; or 2) Why is dance important enough to both individuals and communities that we should we take a week to celebrate it? (If you’re feeling a little less left-brain–inclined, feel free to design a poster that addresses the topic: What does dance look like?)

2.
Learn the choreography for this year’s flash mob contest, and start teaching it to your friends, siblings, classmates, grandparents, strangers off the street. (OK, maybe not strangers…but you get the picture!) The moves were created by Michael Rosales, and though the hip-hop choreo is basic enough for beginners to pick up, it’s also a great base for more-advanced embellishments. Once you get your crew together, upload your video to YouTube and send it to NDWF. People will vote on their favorites during NDW, and winners will be announced two weeks later.

3.
Produce a dance event, hold a fundraiser for your studio…the possibilities are just about endless! Visit National Dance Week’s website to find out more.