American Ballet & More to Take Part in DanceFAR Cancer Prevention Benefit, 11/10

San Francisco, CA (September 16, 2015) - DanceFAR and the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) have joined together again this year to produce a spectacular evening of world-class dance for the benefit of cancer prevention research and education. Tickets are available now at dancefar.org for the DanceFAR 2015 performance and after-party to be held Tuesday, November 10that 7 p.m. at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater and Forum.

Inspired by this year's theme "We Dance For A Reason," DanceFAR co-founders James Sofranko, Garen Scribner, and Margaret Karl are bringing together acclaimed local and international artists including Marcelo Gomes and Stella Abrera, principal dancers with American Ballet Theater; guest artists to be announced from San Francisco Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Silicon Valley Ballet, Art of Teknique, and Garrett + Moulton Productions; and Garen Scribner, currently appearing on Broadway in An American in Paris. A complete roster of artists will be announced in mid-October.

"We dance for a reason and that reason is to prevent cancer," said DanceFAR Co-Founder James Sofranko. "In addition to raising funds, we are partnering with CPIC to raise awareness of the importance of cancer prevention, an area of cancer research that is surprisingly underfunded."

"Our event resonates with people - patients, survivors, family members, friends and colleagues - because cancer touches everyone," said DanceFAR Co-Founder Garen Scribner. "We are honored to support the critical, cutting-edge research and education initiatives of CPIC again this year."

"We are pleased to announce that Sam Bronfman and Tim Dattels are joining us as co-chairs of the DanceFAR 2015 host committee," said DanceFAR Co-Founder Margaret Karl. "Our enthusiastic co-chairs have brought together a stellar committee, including Bill and Navid Armstrong, Richard Barker, Joy Boatwright, Jack Calhoun, Marianne Jackson, Carl and Yurie Pascarella, and Pete Sittnick."

"We envision a world where cancer is a disease of the past and this is what we work toward every day," said CPIC Chief Executive Officer Donna Randall, Ph.D. "As a freestanding research institute, we impact lives through a unique combination of skills, expertise and strategic partnerships that make us truly distinctive."

CPIC's researchers study a wide range of cancer risk factors to determine how these factors affect frequency, distribution and types of cancers. On average, one in two people will develop cancer in their lifetimes and CPIC is committed to finding out why.

World-renowned scientists at CPIC have been able to identify reasons for melanoma in young California girls, demonstrate the effects of secondhand smoke on women, and study the prevalence of the BRCA1 gene in nonwhite women. These findings have led to legislation, education and screening aimed at preventing various cancers.

CPIC's programs help reduce the burden of cancer by providing information on how to manage treatment side effects and deal with issues of daily living - nutrition, employment, talking with children, health insurance and more.

But cancer prevention research receives less than 5 percent of federal cancer research dollars. The drastic reductions in government funding for cancer research over the last ten years have stalled many innovative projects. CPIC research and education initiatives, more and more, depend on private funding to survive.

"We are grateful for the ongoing support of our DanceFAR co-founders, committee chairs and members, sponsors and partners," Dr. Randall said. "Our annual dance event allows us to sustain and build vital cancer prevention studies and educational programs."

About the Organizers

DanceFAR was founded in 2012 by San Francisco Ballet dancers Garen Scribner, James Sofranko and Margaret Karl as a way to give back to the community and encourage volunteerism, providing a platform for artists to share their talents while contributing to charitable causes. Its inaugural event took place June 6th, 2012 to a sold-out house of over 900 seats at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco and featured a beautiful after-party in the legendary Green Room. The 2013 and 2014 events, which were held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, both achieved similar success. The DanceFAR team is proud to have raised almost $300,000 for CPIC over the last three years.

About the Cancer Prevention Institute of California
The Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) is the nation's premier organization dedicated to preventing cancer and to reducing its burden where it cannot yet be prevented. CPIC tracks patterns of cancer throughout the entire population and identifies those at risk for developing cancer. Its research scientists are leaders in investigating the causes of cancer in large populations to advance the development of prevention-focused interventions. CPIC's innovative cancer prevention research and education programs, together with the work of the Stanford Cancer Institute, can make our vision of a world without cancer a reality.For more information, visit CPIC's official website at www.cpic.org.

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