Kitchen Theatre Company's Dance the Night Away 2015 Reaches Goal

Kitchen Theatre Company's 5th Annual Dance the Night Away fundraising event on Saturday, March 21, 2015 was a huge success, raising over $46,000 to support the work of the theater. The event matches local celebrities with Kitchen Theatre Company professional dancers and choreographers who prepare exhibition dances and raise money through sponsorship of friends and supporters. Months of rehearsal culminate in an evening of performances, food, drink and dancing for all to the music of Little Joe and the Big Shots. Individual sponsorships of the dancers, tickets sales, and business sponsorships add to the total revenue raised. This year nearly 400 people supported the dancers with donations, and the theater was filled to capacity for the event.

"There were so many people who helped us. CFCU Community Credit Union was our lead corporate sponsor for the third year, in addition to sponsors CSP Management, Cayuga Medical Center, Dianne & Jim Orcutt, King Ferry Winery, Cornell University Hospital for Animals, Linz Real Estate, Bacchus Brewery Inc., Ithaca Veterinary Housecalls, NYSEG, and Will Musham singer/songwriter. Without this kind of community support, we wouldn't be able to do the work we do," says Managing Director Stephen Nunley.

"We had everything from waltz to funk," adds KTC Artistic Director, Rachel Lampert, who also choreographed three of the celebrity dance numbers as well as dancing herself. "There was so much energy and excitement in the room when this year's celebrities took the dance floor. Everyone appreciated all the work they did to get to such a high level of performance." This year's celebrities included Jennifer Tavares, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Joel Malina, Cornell University Vice President for Community Relations, Susan Lustick, Linz Real Estate, Mark Kenjerska, Chemung Canal Trust Company, Denny Grout, Hairy Canary, Rebecca Schwed, Hangar Theatre Board, Matt Carcella-Sweet, Director of Diversity Alumni Programs at Cornell University, Tucker Davis, choreographer, Robbert van Renesse, Department of Computer Science at Cornell, Anneke van Renesse and KTC board members, Susan Johnston and Jamie Morrisey plus KTC staff members Emily Jackson, Stephen Nunley, Lesley Greene and Rachel Lampert. Kitchen Theatre Company staff and board of directors thank all those who attended and supported Dance the Night Away. Important conversations, and a lot of dancing, happens in the Kitchen!