The Ordway Announces Summer 2013 Dance Series Line Up

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is excited to announce the fourth season of its free Summer Dance Series, offering weekly social dance events in downtown Saint Paul's Rice Park. Beginning June 13, the Ordway Summer Dance Series highlights a different social dance style every Thursday, with demonstrations and basic lessons by professional dance instructors from our community and the opportunity to put those lessons into practice during open dancing time for the rest of the evening. Local bands will provide live music each week, adding energy to Saint Paul summer evenings.

"Summer Dance is a wonderful way that the Ordway carries out our mission: to make the arts accessible and engaging for everyone," explains Patricia A. Mitchell, Ordway's president and CEO. "Whatever your level of dance ability and dance familiarity - including if you have none of either - you're sure to have an enjoyable evening at Summer Dance!"

The Ordway' s Summer Dance Series will begin each week with a social gathering at 5:30 p.m. where food, ice cream and beverages are available for purchase from The Saint Paul Hotel, Pazzaluna, R.A. MacSammy's, Potter's Pasties and Leprechaun's Dreamcycle. Free dance demonstrations by well-known local dance professionals from organizations including Arthur Murray Dance Studio and Cinema Ballroom will begin at 6:00 p.m. and live music by a different local band every week will follow at 7:15 p.m.

The Ordway is partnering with Landmark Center, Pazzaluna, The Saint Paul Hotel, the City of Saint Paul's Cultural STAR Program and the Knight Foundation for the Ordway Summer Dance Series.

The 2013 Summer Dance Series Line Up

June 13 - Surf Rock

Surf Rock Dance Instruction: Arthur Murray Saint Paul Band: The Fractals
Rain Location: Saint Paul Hotel Ballroom

June 20 - Salsa

Salsa Dance Instruction: Manuel & Carmen Rubio Band: Salsa del Soul
Rain Location: Saint Paul Hotel Ballroom

June 27 - Polka

Polka Dance Instruction: Stan and Darlene Wandersee Band: DyVersaCo
Rain Location: Landmark Center Cortile

July 4 - No event due to July 4 holiday

July 11 - R&B/ Soul - Steppin'

Steppin' Dance Instruction: TC Steppers / Kevin Johnson Band: Ray Covington and The Maxx Band
Rain Location: Landmark Center Cortile

July 18 - Swing

Swing Dance Instruction: Arthur Murray Saint Paul Band: Riverside Swing Band
Rain Location: Saint Paul Hotel M St. Cafe

July 25 - Ballroom

Ballroom Dance Instruction: Cinema Ballroom Band: Jerry O'Hagan and his Orchestra
Rain Location: Landmark Center Cortile

The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and McKnight stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance, and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve more than 50,000 students annually. The Ordway also serves as authorizer for the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists. Together with The

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.

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