The Kennedy Center to Celebrate National Dance Day 2024 in September

The Kennedy Center will present a full day of in-person activities for National Dance Day, Saturday, September 21, from 10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Presented through a partnership between the Kennedy Center, American Dance Movement, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), this annual event—which marks its 15th anniversary this year—invites people of all ages and abilities, from the youngest dancers to professionals, to participate in a free celebration of the joy of dance and movement. Outdoor events on Saturday will have captioning for activities on the main stage from 10 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Recognizing the power of dance to build community, this year's event at the REACH explores how different dance forms strengthen community wellbeing. Coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the REACH opening, this event will feature all-day classes and performances from local D.C. dance organizations and artists. Select events are supported by the Kennedy Center's Social Impact division's Millennium Stage and Dance Sanctuaries and the Center's Hip Hop Culture programs.

Hosted by “Millennial Hype Man” KyleOnTheMic, experience a variety of dance styles with something for everyone, ranging from tap and percussive dance, contemporary, line dancing, Latin dance, hip hop, Dance for Parkinson's, bilingual family dance, and more. Continuing the festivities into the evening as part of the Center's REACH @ 5 weekend celebration, indie-mambo band Orkestra Mendoza will perform on the Millennium Stage at 6 p.m. on the REACH plaza and will include a social dance lesson prior to the performance with Ferocity Dance. Then at 8 p.m., a block party will close out the day on the REACH plaza. Additional activities as part of the REACH @ 5 celebration can be found here.

On Saturday, participants will also have opportunities to learn the official National Dance Day routine created by Christopher Scott, choreographer of the upcoming feature film, Wicked. The routine brings together dancers and dance enthusiasts around the globe to celebrate National Dance Day and invites participants to learn original choreography and put their own spin on it. This year's instructional video will be released in the coming weeks and can be found via American Dance Movement's website.

A full and detailed National Dance Day schedule is located on the Center's website. All National Dance Day events are free and access to the event space is first come, first served and may be limited due to capacity.

Founded by producers Nigel Lythgoe (So You Think You Can Dance) and Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Step Up, What Men Want), American Dance Movement (ADM) is a funding organization that builds healthy communities by expanding access to dance and movement, educating about its benefits and inspiring generations of dance enthusiasts through its annual event, National Dance Day (NDD). National Dance Day was established in 2010 by Lythgoe in partnership with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who introduced a resolution recognizing dance as a valuable form of exercise and of artistic expression. As of 2019, National Dance Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday in September.

In addition to the Kennedy Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California and Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida will be official 2024 host venues for National Dance Day. For more information about National Dance Day, please visit the American Dance Movement website. 

About Christopher Scott

Christopher Scott is a three-time Emmy–nominated choreographer, dancer, director, and producer who went from tap dancing on the 3rd Street Promenade with John and Sean Scott in Santa Monica, California at age 15 to being one of today's most sought-after choreographers. His first steps into the shoes of a choreographer were for the groundbreaking web series The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers where he also played the role of Copeland. This led to him choreographing several live performances for The LXD including So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, TED Talks, and the Emmy–nominated 82nd Academy Awards. He has since garnered several choreographer credits including the film adaptation of In The Heights, Being the Ricardos, Step Up 4: Revolution, Step Up 5: All In, America's Best Dance Crew, and earned three Emmy nominations for his work spanning 9 seasons of So You Think You Can Dance. Christopher has also collaborated with Disney numerous times, choreographing the record-breaking Disney Channel Original movies Teen Beach Movie, Teen Beach Movie 2, and Z-O-M-B-I-E-S. His most recent project is the highly anticipated upcoming film adaptations of the worldwide Broadway phenomenon Wicked.

Additionally, Christopher has choreographed for renowned artists such as Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons, Khalid, Gloria Estefan, Miguel, and Gwen Stefani. His exciting and inventive choreography can also be seen in the acclaimed Microsoft Surface Tablet commercials, and the viral hit Safety Video for Virgin America. In 2015, Christopher was also the Director of Choreography for the 2015 European Games closing ceremony with a cast of over 1,500 performers.

Beyond his skills as a choreographer, Christopher has appeared as a dancer in many titles including the Beyoncé: Get Me Bodied music video, Glee, 17 Again, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and The Hannah Montana Movie, as well as being cast to play the role of Hair in Step Up 2: the Streets and continued the role in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th installments of the film franchise. He has since stepped into the director's chair for multiple episodes of The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, his short film, How to Catch a Ghost, and the brand-launching commercial Hello Bello (They Call Me). Lastly, Christopher has served as a producer on many film and television programs including Fox's The Big Leap, ABC's Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Celebration and the Emmy–winning Disney+ Original Movie Sneakerella. He is extremely grateful to all the incredibly generous mentors that have helped him along the way.

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