2nd Annual NYC Festival of Dance Schools Announces 6/6-7 Line-Up

Ballet teacher and producer Kat Wildish has announced participants in the second annual NYC Festival of Dance Schools, to be held at The Ailey Citigroup Theater June 6 and 7, 2012, at 7 pm. The performances include top talent from pre-professional studios across the tri-state area.

The 2012 festival will feature students from Valentina Kozlova's Dance Conservatory NY, French Academie of Ballet, Vicky Simegiatos Performing Arts Center, Art of Dance, Staten Island Ballet, and Ballets Des Ameriques. Four of these studios particpated in the inaugural festival in June 2011.

Two different programs will be announced at a later date along with additional participating studios. The festival aims to bring young dancers together through a supportive, collective performance opportunity in midtown.

"The benefits of stage time are so important in the development of an artist's career," says producer Kat Wildish, a former ABT dancer who trained at the School of American Ballet under a Ford Foundation Scholarship. "I want to give students an extra chance to dance through this Festival." Following the format of her frequently sold-out Performing in NY Showcases, Kat invites a diverse range of schools from the tri-state area.

Performances are at 7 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, and Thursday, June 7, 2012. They will be held at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 West 55th Street at 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10019.

Tickets are $17 in advance, or $20 at the door. Purchase tickets and find more information at www.nycfestivalofdanceschools.com.

The NYC Festival of Dance Schools, launched in 2011 by master ballet teacher Kat Wildish, showcases the top talent from many of the city's most prominent studios. Kat founded the Performing in New York Experience & Showcases, which provide performance opportunities to small companies and adult students. Recognizing the benefit of stage time in young dancers' careers, Kat initiated this festival to give that special chance to dance to those in professional schools and universities. The festival collectively presents the up-and-coming talent of the heart of the dance world.

Kat Wildish is a master ballet instructor currently on faculty at The Ailey Extension in NYC. A former dancer with ABT and NYCB, she trained at The School of American Ballet on a Ford Foundation Scholarship and has been teaching over 35 years. She is certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum and instructs 12 packed, multi-level ballet and pointe technique classes per week. Kat was a longtime faculty member at Broadway Dance Center and former scholarship director at STEPS. She is the Artistic Director of the Performing in NY Showcase and The NYC Festival of Dance Schools. For more information, visit http://www.katwildish.com.