Category Archives: dance
Wine, Divas, Desserts is a sellout! This first-time event will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 7:30 pm at the Waco Civic Theatre. It is a benefit for the Waco Cultural Arts Festival. Thank you to everyone for supporting this event!
Tickets are $35 each online at http://divaswaco.eventbrite.com. Limited VIP seating. Producer is David Hollingsworth. For information or to get on the waitlist, call Sandi Horton at 254-744-5887.
NEW this year {254}dance-festival. Modern dance is in Texas!
Modern dance is happening all over Texas! There is an exciting and growing community of artists with interesting ideas and fantastic execution. There are major “dance festivals” happening all over the state in places such as: Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, College Station and NOW WACO! It is the perfect meeting place for locals and semi-locals to call {254}dance-festival their new “Stomping ground”.
The music line-up for the 2012 Waco Cultural Arts Fest to be held Sept. 22-23 is filled with 20 outstanding performing groups ranging from local students to nationally known professionals.
On Sat. Sept. 22, the Indian Spring Park Amphitheatre will provide live entertainment from 11 am to 11 pm. Concert goers will hear several orchestras, a Mariachi band, a Renaissance group, plus several bands playing original music in the genres of country, rock, bluegrass, and more. Several dance groups will dazzle the audience with colorful costumes, precision dancing, and expressive movements. Sunday from noon to 5 pm the main stage will include performances of children’s theatre, world music, percussion ensembles, a vocalist, and a Latin traditional band.
There are only a few months left to get ready for this year’s festival. During this time, I’ll be writing blogs about most of the 20 music groups scheduled for the event so you’ll be anticipating the performances even more. The names of the performers will be revealed gradually. I’m very excited about every group that has agreed to perform!
The FREE Waco Cultural Arts Fest 2011 starts in just 9 days at Indian Spring Park.
Three Waco dance studios will bring their best performers to the Indian Spring Amphitheater on Sat. Sept. 17 between 2 – 4 pm.
All That Jazz Dance Academy will kick off the dance performances at 2 pm with 18 dancers, ages 9-25. They will perform jazz, modern, and hip hop dances for the festival using the music of artists Alanis Morisette, Aerosmith, Frou Frou, Johnny Kemp, and more.
Regina Nix is the owner, director and the main instructor for the All That Jazz dancers. They compete at Starbound National Talent Competition, Dance Educators of America, Cathy Roe Productions, and I Love Dance. They also perform at local events such as the HOT Fair, Race for the Cure, Hip Hop to Health, local nursing homes, Deck The Halls, and weddings.
Dancers from All That Jazz Dance Academy have also performed on several Carnival Cruise ships, at Walt Disney World, in New York on Fuse TV, at New York Visitors Center, and in Hawaii at the Ala Moana Mall and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Regina Nix is assisted by teachers Stacia Barrett, Christi Holt, Casey Jessup, Cassie Commerford and Blaine Peters at All That Jazz.
At 2:30 pm, Joy’s School of Dance students will take the stage with their 26 member dance company of dancers ages 12 – 18. They will perform pieces from their 2011 spring recital with a theme of ‘Circus’ using ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop dances.
JSOD performs at many community events throughout the year including HOT Fair and Rodeo, Deck the Halls, JSOD Holiday Show, Waco Children’s Symphony, Zoo Tunes, Hooray for Families Expo, Various School Carnivals, National Night Out, National Dance Day, Movies in the Park, JSOD Spring Recital, and TATD Floor Show.
Natalie George is the owner and artistic director of JSOD assisted by Lydia Spano and Sam Adair.
The Expressions Dance Company from the Jenni Holley Dance Studio will perform at 3:00 pm. Approximately 20 dancers between the ages of 12-18 will perform ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop using world music, pop, and rock selections.
The Expressions Dance Company competes at New York City Dance Alliance, Co. Dance, The Pulse by Broadway Dance Center, Tremaine, Cathy Roe Ultimate Dance, Starlight, Showstoppers, Celebrity, Starpower, and Artists Simply Human.
In addition to the WCAF, the EDC has also performed at the Heart of Texas Fair, State Fair of Texas, Deck the Halls, Junior League Mother-Daughter Tea, and Waco Kidz Expo.
Jenni Holley is the director and lead instructor of the Dance Company assisted by Shiree King. Other instructors at the Jenni Holley Dance Studio are Liz Rogers, Michelle Godin, and Molly McGrew.
The FREE Waco Cultural Arts Fest 2011 starts in just 13 days at Indian Spring Park.
One of the headliner groups for the WCAF is Mahenwahdose, Native American performers of song, dance, and story from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company features a full-blood Muscogee Indian storyteller Nagonagogee OniYah, also known as Will Hill. Hill learned the traditions and ancestry of his tribe by the tribal elders. He uses language, traditional flute, drum, and humor to share his stories. Hill is joined by native American Jehnean Washington, a professional performer who graduated from AMDA (American Music and Dance Academy) in New York City.
Mahenwahdose was the first company to perform at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian before it opened in Washington, D.C. in 2004. They have performed at Disney’s Epcot Center and throughout the United States. Their original song, The Trail of Tears was nominated for a Grammy in 2008.
Mahhenwahdose will perform two shows at South Waco Elementary School on Fri. Sept. 16. On Sat. Sept. 17 the group will perform at Indian Spring Park at 6 pm and again at Indian Spring Park on Sun. Sept. 18 at 4 pm.