Washington Ballet to Hold Gala Celebrating David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Washington Ballet will hold THE BOWIE QUEEN BALL to support education and community engagement programs including THEARC and the extensive public school program DanceDC. Sponsorships are available. The annual gala enables hundreds of children at THEARC in Ward 8 and in the DanceDC program to experience significant dance training and to achieve greater academic and life skills.

WHERE: The Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

WHEN: Friday, April 29, 2016

This year's gala is inspired by the upcoming ballet premiere of Bowie & Queen, and will honor Artistic Director Septime Webre who celebrates his 17 year tenure at The Washington Ballet. The evening will include performances by the Company and DanceDC students.

As a leader in local arts community engagement programs, The Washington Ballet:

• Dedicates more than $1.4 million annually in outreach and education programs including over $400,000 in scholarships to deserving students based on merit and need.

• Provides access to world-class dance training, education and performances for families that need it most. As a founding partner of THEARC, this additional campus located in Ward 8 furthers our mission to bring the joy of dance to the entire community.

• Offers dance instruction integrated with DC Public School curriculum standards at eight elementary schools through our DanceDC program.

These ground-breaking programs serve as a national model and have reached more than 150,000 of the city's most underserved individuals. Moreover, TWB@THEARC now has been designated, in partnership with a leading arts and humanities commission to expand its reach in public elementary schools. The number of DanceDC school affiliates will increase from eight to 13, almost doubling the number of students served.

For more information, visit washingtonballet.org.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON BALLET: The Washington Ballet (TWB) was originally founded as The Washington School of Ballet in 1944 by legendary ballet pioneer Mary Day and incorporated as a professional company in 1976. The Washington Ballet is one of the pre-eminent ballet organizations in the United States. TWB built an international reputation presenting bold works by choreographers from around the world, including Choo San Goh, Christopher Wheeldon, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Hans van Manen and Ji?í Kylián, as well as neoclassical masterworks and fresh staging of 19th century classics. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Septime Webre and Executive Director, Shakira Segundo, TWB has embraced a three-part mission: ensuring excellence in its professional performance company; growing the next generation of dancers through its Washington School of Ballet; and serving the community in which it resides through robust community engagement programs.

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