Spring 2015's Elite Dance Tournament to Award Apprenticeship with Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Joffrey Ballet School, a world-renowned dance center offering the most versatile and highest quality training, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, known for their, partner to launch the first annual Elite Dance Tournament. The new national competition, which is focused on educational empowerment through constructive evaluation, will take place in six cities with a variety of master classes and focus on ballet, jazz and contemporary styles. In its inaugural year, the tournament will provide an apprenticeship with Complexions Dance Company; a full- time position with the Joffrey Concert Group; and $180,000 in cash and scholarships, including $10,000 each for the ultimate dancer, studio and choreographer.

"The Elite Dance Tournament provides participants a unique opportunity to investigate their craft while working with top dance professionals. The experiences gained from this tournament will help these dancers on their journey to achieve their goals and strengthen their craft," says Desmond Richardson, co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Keeping true to the tournament's foundation in education, all competitors will be required to participate in master classes of their discipline. Leading instructors and judges include, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson (Complexions); Michael Blake, Jo Matos, Davis Robertson, and Josie Walsh (Joffrey Ballet School); with special guest judges Jodie Gates (Long Beach), Christina Lyon (San Francisco), Nigel Lythgoe (Finals), Adam Sklute (Texas), and Ethan Stiefel (New York).

"As the executive director of Joffrey Ballet School, I've had the opportunity to see how passionately young dancers are seeking training and access to the top teachers in the nation. However, top training often presents financial hurdles as well," says Christopher D'Addario, Executive Director of Elite and Joffrey Ballet School. "We wanted to create Elite with a strong focus on education and judging so these talented young dancers can really grow to be the best."

Judging

Elite will feature the judging system DanceComp Genie making it easy for any dancer, individual or group, to access their scores and corrections. Students will be able to listen to each judge's notes while reviewing a playback of their performance online.

Awards

Tournament awards include; $180,000 in cash and scholarships, including $10,000 each for the ultimate dancer, studio and choreographer. Two talented dancers will also be chosen for an apprenticeship with Complexions Contemporary Ballet or a full-time position with the Joffrey Concert Group, both include housing. The position with Joffrey Concert Group also includes a stipend. For more detailed information about awards, visit: www.elitedancetournament.com/awards.

Cities and Regulations

The Elite Dance Tournament will begin on February 27, 2015 and will tour to six cities in the United States in search of the most talented students in the country. Winners from the tour will be invited to compete at Finals on May 22-24, 2015. Participants must compete in one of the first six cities, in order to be eligible to compete at Finals. For detailed information about age divisions, disciplines, and rules, visit: https://www.elitedancetournament.com/rules-and-regulations.

February 27, 2015 - March 1, 2015

University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Ave., TAR 230, Tampa, FL 33620-7450

March 13, 2015 - March 15, 2015

Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts
Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11201

March 20, 2015 - March 23, 2015

Texas Women's University - Margo Jones Performance Hall 1322 Oakland Street, Denton, TX 76209

March 27, 2015 - March 29, 2015

ODC Theater
3153 17th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110

April 10, 2015 - April 12, 2015

Blumenthal Performing Arts Centers Knight Theater (4/10)
430 S Tyron Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 Booth Playhouse (4/11-12)
130 N Tyron Street, Charlotte, NC 28202

May 1, 2015 - May 3, 2015

Cal. State University, Long Beach - Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840

May 22, 2015- May 24, 2015

TBA

About The Elite Dance Tournament - The Elite Dance Tournament is designed to inspire greatness and cultivate passion for dance through achievement. Presented by Joffrey Ballet School and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the tournament aims to cultivate an environment of educational excellence. Partnerships with more than a handful of universities nationwide, provide winners with access to college scholarships. The Elite Dance Tournament empowers studios and dancers through its programs and provides opportunities for effectual and individual feedback. The tournament boasts a great line up of judges and instructors who are masters of their craft as well as monetary prizes for the most elite.

About Joffrey Ballet School - Founded in 1953 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, Joffrey Ballet School maintains the vision of its founders to transform passionate dance students into versatile, individualistic artists able to collaborate and evolve fluidly in a fast-changing society. With an accredited dance program that offers two core pieces of study - ballet and jazz/contemporary - Joffrey is known for its diverse curriculum as well as being the largest summer intensive training program in the country. As Joffrey celebrates its 60th anniversary, it remains at the forefront of American dance education, instilling a passion for dance in children, youth, adults, pre-professionals and professionals. Graduates of the School have gone on to dance for major classical ballet, modern and contemporary companies, both in the United States and abroad.

About Complexions Contemporary Ballet - Founded by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson in 1994, Complexions Contemporary Ballet's groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, and cultures has created an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement over the past 20 years. The company's foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world-and all its constituent cultures-as an interrelated whole. Complexions has received numerous awards including the New York Times "Critics Choice" Award and has performed throughout the US, including the Joyce Theater/NY, Lincoln Center/NY, the Brooklyn Academy of Music's/NY, the Mahalia Jackson Performance Arts Center in New Orleans, the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, the Music Center in Los Angeles, and the Winspear Opera House/Dallas.

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