Dance Council of North Texas to Host DANCE PLANET 20 in April

Dance Council of North Texas invites you to DANCE NOW at Dance Planet's 20th Anniversary on April 9 from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and April 10 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. This event features FREE classes, FREE performances, and FREE engaging activities. Register for classes at thedancecouncil.org beginning March 21.

Dance Planet 20 lights up the stage with talent from both coasts-headliners Teresa Espinosa and Christopher Vo. Both artists were born and raised in Dallas and have returned home to "dance now" at Dance Planet 20. Take classes with Broadway dancer/teacher/dance captain Christopher Vo, and Hollywood hip hop dancer/choreographer/teacher Teresa Espinosa.

Vo's credits include Broadway's The King and I and On The Town; a featured role on NBC's Smash; dancing with the renowned Lar Lubovitch Dance Company; and the national tour of Twyla Tharp's Come Fly with Me. In The King and I, Vo performed the role of Simon Legree in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and was promoted to Assistant Dance Captain and Swing for this celebrated cast at Lincoln Center.

Espinosa's film and television credits include: American Idol; Good Morning America; The X Factor; You Got Served; Barbie: The Princess and The Popstar; Magic Mike; and Magic Mike XXL. Espinosa earned an Emmy nomination for choreography for HBO's special broadcast of Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour: Live in Madison Square Garden. She toured with Janet Jackson, Brittany Spears, Miley Cyrus, Rihana, Pink, and many more.

Dance Planet 20 is jam-packed with more than 25 classes to choose from, along with conversations and performances. On Saturday morning, Teresa Espinosa kicks off the festival with an awesome hip hop class for all ages and abilities, followed by a musical theater class with Christopher Vo. Choose from an exciting roster of dance classes: hip hop with Keith Green; pre-Columbian with Eduardo Gutierrez; Bollywood dance with Meghana Bellary; lindy hop with Brandon Tijerina; salsa with Luis Delgadillo; yoga with Larry Lane; and many more.

At noon, join Espinosa and Vo in the theater for a fascinating conversation about pursuing a dance career. From 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM enjoy performances or continue to take more cool classes. Make sure you are in the theater to see Espinosa and Vo perform the finale of Dance Now at 4:30 PM.

"Dance Planet 20 is going to be epic!" exclaims co-founders Linda James and Gayle Halperin. "Teresa Espinosa and Christopher Vo are among our most heralded guest artists. As role models, their experiences are worth their weight in gold," says James. Halperin recalls, "Jacques d'Amboise was the first headliner 20 years ago, followed by Chuck Davis; then Queen of Swing Norma Miller; and Gus Giordano. Every year has been even more awesome."

Dance Council of North Texas brings you Dance Planet 20 with the support of its title sponsor, Heritage Auctions, and major sponsors: Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts; City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; Dallas Independent School District; Sammons Center for the Arts; Texas Commission on the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts; Capezio; Texas Instruments; TheaterJones.com; Sherry Taylor/TPN; Bloomberg Philanthropies; DCNT members; and many individual donors.

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