ME DANCE INTRODUCES THE INAUGURAL I DANCE ORLANDO FESTIVAL
Orlando’s all-new festival will be the first of its kind to showcase the versatility of dance as an art form
ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 4, 2015) – The ME Dance company today announced its new I Dance Orlando Festival, Orlando’s first arts festival to solely explore the art of dance to its richest extent. Registration for the dance festival has opened as of today for all local and regional dance schools and companies interested in participating. The event will take place April 22 – May 1, 2016 at the state-of-the-art ME Theatre, which is specially equipped for dance performances of all kinds.
I Dance Orlando Festival is being introduced to bring together the local community of dancers, choreographers, performers, educators and students in a cooperative manner that will allow them to perform new works and also inspire and educate the public through dance. The festival aspires to create an environment for students and artists to cultivate their talent and artistry to its fullest potential, all while strengthening public appreciation and support for this unique and vast art form.
“The I Dance Orlando Festival is designed to offer a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere aimed at cultivating a creative exchange of ideas,” says Marshall Ellis, founder and artistic director of ME Dance and concept designer for the festival. “The festival will encourage artists to explore new grounds, offer a creative outlet, and also provide both local artists and the public the opportunity to experience dance in a new way.”
Throughout the festival, the ME Dance School will host open, drop-in classes (no registration needed) for the general public for the deeply discounted price of only $7 per class. All those interested in learning to dance – no matter age or experience – are encouraged to attend any of the various dance classes offered, which include: ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and contemporary.
The registration form can be found at MEDance.org/IDanceOrlando. The cut-off deadline to register is December 31. The dance festival is open to all local and regional professional companies, schools, artists and students. All dance styles are encouraged. There is a limit of two artistic works per application, and each work needs to be between three and 15 minutes in length. Once final applications are in, they will be individually judged and qualifying applicants will be notified and chosen to perform on a select night during the festival.
For more information, visit MEDance.org or call 407-816-7080.
Images available here: https://app.box.com/iDanceOrlandoFestival
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About ME Dance, Inc.
Founded in 2012, ME Dance Inc. is an Orlando-based, non-profit arts organization founded by Marshall Ellis. The mission of ME Dance is to introduce innovative ideas through dance to create growth in the arts community and to enrich the arts community by providing an outlet to feature talent in art through entertainment.
Founder Marshall Ellis brings more than two and a half decades of dance and choreography experience to the table with credits including Ballet Austin, London Studio Centre, Orlando Ballet, Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba and Walt Disney World. In addition to the professional dance company, Marshall Ellis’ portfolio also encompasses a dance school and Orlando’s newest performance venue.
The ME Dance School provides students with an environment in which to cultivate their talent and artistry to its fullest potential. As a result of a collaboration between the dance school and the professional company, Marshall Ellis also formed a pre-professional dance company. ME2 members are selected through an audition process and overseen by the artistic director to help mold young dancers, ages 14-21, into professionals who are well-versed in various types of dance styles. ME2 dancers have the opportunity to rehearse and perform with the professional company during select performances and participate in community events.
The ME Theatre is a state-of-the-art performance venue with flexible seating and a capacity of accommodating up to 130 guests. It is available for dance productions, concerts, musicals, plays, weddings, corporate events, meetings, private gatherings, photo shoots, video productions and other theatrical uses.
For more information, visit MEDance.org.
