iHeartDance NYC and Ballet and Beyond NYC Give The Gift Of Dance Education This Holiday Season

A festive holiday dance benefit event by iHeartDance NYC and Ballet and Beyond NYC will be held Wednesday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. In partnership to raise funds to subsidize the costs of ballet training to local children living in underserved communities, the evening will offer guest performances from dancers from film, Broadway, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theater of Harlem and more, while spotlighting the students of Ballet and Beyond and their aspirations of becoming the dancers of tomorrow.

iHeartDance NYC has mobilized as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to champion opportunity for professional artists and gained notoriety in the Spring and Summer for their 16 sold-out performances on the rooftop of the Empire Hotel. Having raised over $150,000 for the dance community, they continue their charitable work this Holiday season to support Ballet and Beyond NYC, a non-profit that brings access to ballet training to lower income students through partnerships with after-school programming throughout New York City. Together, they present an evening of performance and light festive fare to celebrate the positive role dance plays in the lives of children, and champion accessibility, equity and art.

"Since we started our mission, it has been so important to us to support the dancers that elevate the cultural landscape of our city," explains Melissa Gerstein and Kimberly Giannelli, co-founders of iHeartDance NYC. "Nurturing opportunity and collaboration has become an important part of who we are, and we are so proud to partner with Ballet and Beyond to help foster opportunity to young dancers so that they can dream and explore their own journey from studio to stage."

"Self-expression, confidence, discipline and joy are all of the things that are fostered in the ballet studio," adds Michelle Cave, Ballet and Beyond NYC Founder and Director. "It is important to offer these elements of growth and development to all children, and with the funds raised at this event, we will be able to sustain and grow our programming to more children in the City this holiday season and into next year."

The iHeartDance NYC and Ballet and Beyond NYC Holiday Dance Benefit will be held at Open Jar Studios, located at 1601 Broadway, on the 11th floor. Tickets are $100 and available at both https://www.iheartdancenyc.com and http://www.balletandbeyondnyc.org.

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