Manhattan Movement & Arts Center Presents Annual Manhattan Youth Ballet Benefit Tonight

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center presents Manhattan Youth Ballet Benefit tonight, November 18, 2012 at 8pm at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street, NYC (between Amsterdam and West End Avenues) in the Lincoln Center area. Tickets are $35 for the performance and include a complimentary beverage. Tickets are available at www.ManhattanYouthBallet.org. All proceeds from the evening will fund scholarships for students of Manhattan Youth Ballet.

The evening's performance includes:

Teddy Toye (B'way: Bring It On: The Musical, Lysistrata Jones)
Johnny Stellard (B'way: Evita)
Clinton Roane (B'way: The Scottsboro Boys)
Nini Shermandini (Winner of Greece X-factor)
Francesca McGrory (Off B'way: Freckleface)
Michael Bradshaw-Flynn (Off B'way: Freckleface)
Joseph Toloraia (Georgian Recording Artist)
Corey Loftus (National Tour: Seussical)
Angela Dirksen (Regional: Wonderful Town)

Modeled with an emphasis on European classical ballet, Manhattan Youth Ballet (MYB) offers world-class training in a nurturing environment focused on discipline, precision and artistry. MYB is the culmination of Ms. Rose Caiola's effort for the past fifteen years to create a viable and curriculum-based ballet academy in Manhattan in order to serve the needs of the multifaceted community. Principal members of the faculty have received their training in schools such as the School of American Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Kirov Ballet. The faculty strives to bring out the individual potential of each student with an emphasis on artistry as well as technique to create truly versatile dancers for the current dance world. Education is a top priority at Manhattan Youth Ballet and the school has numerous community outreach programs to promote dance education. Since moving to its new home at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center in September 2008, over 2,500 New York City school children have participated in lecture demonstrations and/or been MYB's invited guests at full-length performances. For more information, visit www.manhattanyouthballet.org.

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center was developed by Rose Caiola as the home of the Manhattan Youth Ballet, a graded, pre-professional ballet academy and performance company. Ms. Caiola, a former dancer and actress, founded the academy in the fall of 1994 as Studio Maestro at 48 W. 68th Street, and today serves as the youth ballet's executive artistic director.

The school is modeled after the European academies. The Manhattan Youth Ballet has acquired a reputation for excellent teaching in an intimate and individually supportive environment. The school's graduates have danced professionally with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet de España, San Francisco Ballet and Complexions.

As the ballet academy grew, the search for a larger space inspired in Ms. Caiola a highly personal vision of a studio and theater complex that would encompass all aspects of dance education and performance.

mmac opened its doors in June 2008, occupying a dramatic bi-level space within The Element, a luxury high-rise condominium. In addition to the Manhattan Youth Ballet, mmac's studios and theater host daily adult dance and fitness classes, the mmac Kids program, summer intensive programs, as well as an array of performances and special events.

For more information about mmac, visit www.manhattanmovement.com.