Mark DeGarmo's DANCE FOR DANCE Goes Virtual April 30

Mark DeGarmo Dance pivots its annual community celebration and fundraiser, Dance for Dance 2020, into a virtual broadcast to connect with its local, national, and international audiences on Thursday, April 30th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern (U.S.)

Time on Facebook and Youtube. At 7:00PM, MDD will host a dance party on Zoom to close out the evening with live dancing worldwide hosted by DJ Steve. DJ Steve is a professional DJ and event MC with Make a Mark Events in the Boston area.

Those wishing to attend the virtual event and participate in the online silent auction can register by texting d4d2020 to 76278 or visiting www.d4d2020.givesmart.com.

Dance for Dance is Mark DeGarmo Dance's annual community celebration which raises awareness and funds needed to support MDD's mission and programs. Each year, it brings together Mark DeGarmo Dance's students, supporters, guests, teachers, the Board of Directors, and community members from across New York City and beyond, to celebrate and support MDD's programs. This year, MDD expands the event's reach by using an online platform, eliminating the need for guests to be physically present or to live in or close to New York City in order to participate in our community gathering.

"We're excited to offer a moment of safe connection and fun during this unpredictable time- for our communities in NYC, across all artistic disciplines, and throughout our national and international networks," says Mark DeGarmo, Founder, Executive and Artistic Director.

This year's virtual event will include a DJ, highlights from MDD's in-school and adult professional performance programs, and an online silent auction, all of which are accessible to anyone with an internet connection. 100% of all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. By eliminating overhead costs associated with holding an in-person event, MDD is able to direct 100% of the event's contributions directly to its educational and artistic programming.

MDD's Dance Education Program, Partnerships in Literacy through Dance and Creativity©, was heralded as "a national model" by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2019-20, MDD is partnering with 5 public Title I elementary schools in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens combining dance; creativity and creative process; and journal writing. MDD's transcultural transdisciplinary Performance Programs include its compelling Las Fridas' 60-minute duet about the life, traumas, loves, and astonishing body of paintings of Mexican revolutionary Frida Kahlo; and its innovative Salon Performance Series (SPS) which is a presentation of curated works-in-progress with a facilitated audience response. SPS provides opportunities to diverse artists, including artists of color working in dance and other performing art forms underrepresented in traditional and commercial performing, museum, and performance art venues. In 2019-20, MDD will host a total of 60 NYC, national, and International Artists of all ages and across all stages of career development.

At Dance for Dance, MDD also honors artists and scholars of national and international stature who made a significant difference through the arts in the lives of others. Last year, MDD awarded its inaugural "Arts Education Advocate" Award to Nia Imani Franklin, Miss America 2019. Previously, MDD awarded its "Educational Visionary" Lifetime Achievement Award to international dance advocate Patricia Aulestia (2017); dance writer Deborah Jowitt (2016); classical ballet dancers and teachers Oleg Briansky and Mireille Brianne (2015); actress, director, and co-founder The Living Theatre Judith Malina (2014); and educational philosopher and social activist Maxine Greene (2013).