NEWSIES, SMASH and More to Offer Workshops at NYC Dance Alliance Season Finale, 7/1-5

The hit TV show Smash, the Broadway production of Newsies, Cirque du Soleil, The Radio Christmas Spectacular and the upcoming Broadway productions of Matilda and Flashdance are set to take part in the upcoming New York City Dance Alliance National Season Finale which will host 1,500 student dancers from across the United States (ages 7-18). Between July 1st and July 5th they will all offer audition workshops during the event for participants. The workshops will be led by Tony Award-winning Newsies Choreographer Christopher Gatelli, Smash Choreographer Josh Bergasse, Matilda Casting Director Nora Brennan, Flashdance Choreographer Sergio Trujillo, Cirque du Soleil Dance Casting Director Nicole Lamontagne and Radio City Christmas Spectacular Casting Coordinators Michelle Kashinsky and Beth Zitzman.

Taking place from June 28th–July 5th at the Sheraton NY just north of Times Square, last year the event awarded a grand total of $2.9 million in college scholarships and each year hosts the country’s most talented and promising up and coming dancers, offering them the chance to compete for millions in scholarships, participate in audition workshops with Broadway shows & other top entertainment productions, take dance classes taught by some of the industry’s most celebrated dancers and instructors, and perform for leaders of the dance and entertainment communities.

The Newsies audition workshop will be on Sunday, July 1st, on Monday, July 2nd will be both the Smash and Matilda audition workshop, on Tuesday, July 3rd will be the Flashdance audition workshop. The Cirque du Soleil audition workshop will be on Wednesday, July 4th and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular audition workshop will be on Thursday, July 5th.

The first three days of the event (6/28-6/30) include orientations, rehearsals, adjudication sessions and preliminary competitions, and taking place on Sunday, July 1st will be the college scholarship auditions, where the High School junior and senior participants will get the chance to audition for the chance to win millions in scholarships. Participating colleges and universities this year may include Marymount Manhattan, The University of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA), Point Park University (Pittsburgh, PA), Mercyhurst University (Eerie, PA) and Dean College (Franklin, MA).

From Monday, July 2nd thru Thursday, July 5th, attendees will also have the opportunity to take a range of dance classes led by top professionals including Dancing with the Stars’ Tony Dovolani, Tony Award-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and Tony Testa (who’s choreographed for Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Janet Jackson). The event will offer more than 80 classes in six ballrooms with over 20 instructors in all styles of dance.

Taking place on Wednesday, July 4th at 7:30pm (for the 7-12 year old participants) will be the Junior Gala, and on Thursday, July 5th at 6:30pm (for the teenage participants) will be the Closing Night Gala, which will feature performances from the students as well as special guest Broadway performers. The scholarship winners will also be announced during the Closing Night Gala and the top competition performers from earlier in the week will get to perform again for their peers and range of leaders from the dance and entertainment communities.

Incorporated in the early fall of 1993, New York City Dance Alliance was founded by Executive Director, Joe Lanteri, to create a dance convention with a cutting edge point of view, from the dance capital of the world, New York City. The finale event comes after New York City Dance Alliance’s regional competition tour which goes to over twenty cities across the U.S. including Orlando, Raleigh, Columbus, Dallas, Salt Lake City and Portland. All finale participants have taken part in the regional tour earlier this year.

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