Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Dance Movement Present National Dance Day Celebration

Segerstrom Center for the Arts will join the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the official sites of this year's 11th annual National Dance Day (NDD) this Saturday, September 19, 2020.

National Dance Day is presented by American Dance Movement (ADM), formerly Dizzy Feet Foundation, founded by Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman. Segerstrom Center is the exclusive West Coast site and the Kennedy Center is the site of the East Coast celebrations. Due to COVID-19, this year will be entirely virtual, both live and pre-recorded, and online at www.SCFTA.org/NationalDanceDay. Once again, National Dance Day will culminate with MCD3 & Shannan Mather leading thousands of people across the country in the new NDD routine.

An NDD first at the Center will be real time chat via the Center's Instagram account with three noted professionals from the world of musical theater and dance: Complexions Contemporary Dance star Candy Tong from noon to 12:45 p.m. and musical theater and concert artist Natalie Powers from 2 - 2:45 p.m. Along with special messages by ABT Principal Dancer Misty Copeland and Christopher R. Wilson from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Segerstrom Center's program will also include live Zoom master classes conducted by American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School teacher Amanda Cobb, followed by Jenny Backhaus, founder and director of Backhaus Dance, and ???. Center Teaching Artists will demonstrate dance traditions of Native American culture performed by world champion dancer Terry Goedel and the Danza Azteca Xochipilli company. The Powerhouse Percussive Dance trio will add irresistible energy through demonstrations of tap, precision clogging and explosive stomp that will have everyone kicking up their heels - quite literally. And upper level students from the Center's ABT Gillespie School will demonstrate elements of both classical ballet and modern dance.

Everyone is urged to participate in National Dance Day and this year's dance challenge no matter where they are. You can see this year's routine choreographed by MCD3 & Shannan Mather at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FoG_6KI0NM. Simply submit a creative version of the NDD routine to #DanceMadeMeDoIt. Those who can't attend the celebrations at the Kennedy Center or Segerstrom Center are encouraged to host their own NDD event and register online and join ADM's National Directory of Events. Click here to learn more about submitting videos and hosting an event.

For more information, times and details, visit www.SCFTA.org/NationalDanceDay.

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