Media Contact:
Sarah Chambless Federer (o)
(o) 504.324.4242 | (c) 985.373.5271
Email: sarahc@gambelpr.com

New Orleans, LA (October 30, 2014) - It's that time of year again! This holiday season, bring the whole family to see local dance students showcase their talents in a community performance of The Nutcracker Suite. Performances will take place on Sunday, December 7, at 3 pm and 6 pm, at Dixon Hall, Tulane University. The production features participants of the NORDC/NOBA Center for Dance's programs for youth and senior citizens, along with students of NOBA's free after-school partnership programs with Wilson Charter School (Orleans Parish) and Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy (Jefferson Parish). Tickets for The Nutcracker Suite are $5 per person and can be purchased online at www.nobadance.com; by phone at 504-522-0996 or in-person at 935 Gravier Street, Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112.

"The NORDC/NOBA Center for Dance's production of The Nutcracker Suite brings together a unique group of dancers from all over the community - from our after-school dance program participants, to our pre-professional students, to our senior dance class participants. This quality production truly showcases the immense talent that we have in the Greater New Orleans area while serving to further an appreciation for the art of dance in our community," says Jenny Hamilton, New Orleans Ballet Association Executive Director.

The Nutcracker Suite brings together nearly 200 youth and senior participants throughout the greater metropolitan area. The NORDC/NOBA Center for Dance, a nationally recognized cultural community partnership between the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) and the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), offers year-round, tuition-free dance programming to ages 6-80+ at NORDC centers. Each community center or school where classes are taught is assigned a part in The Nutcracker Suite (angels, mice, soldiers, etc.), and students learn choreography from their respective instructors during the fall. The student participants from each community center come together for the first time the day before the performance for production rehearsals at Tulane University. Soloist roles feature students from the pre-professional program.

About the Center for Dance
Founded in 1992, the NORDC/NOBA Center for Dance was born out of a need to make high-quality, professional dance training accessible to all school-aged children. A program that began with just 30 students at the Behrman NORDC Center now boasts an enrollment of more than 400 children and seniors per semester at seven sites citywide. Through expanded partnerships that include schools, churches and community centers, NOBA and its collaborators provide classes at ten sites in three parishes and have offered more than 40,000 free dance classes to over 13,500 children over the past 22 years. With a core curriculum of ballet, modern, tap and hip hop, classes are open to any child with a demonstrated interest in dance. The Pre-Professional Program, open by audition to youth ages 9+, provides more intensive training classes taught by world renowned dancers through the Chevron Master Artist Series; internships; scholarships to study at national, prestigious summer programs; and other unique opportunities. These students annually receive invitations to perform throughout the community and have also appeared on regional and national stages like New York City's Joyce Theater, Kennedy Center and Jacob's Pillow dance festival.

Currently celebrating its 45th Season, NOBA is the Central Gulf region's premiere presenting and service organization dedicated solely to the art of dance. Each year, NOBA provides concerts, classes, workshops and lectures to more than 30,000 area dance enthusiasts of all ages. NOBA's dynamic Main Stage season annually features a diverse array of world-class companies and artists, and its nationally recognized, award-winning education programs provide the community access to over 5,500 quality classes, performances, and activities, more than 95% of which are tuition free.

For more information about NOBA's community dance programs, visit www.NOBAdance.com or call 504-522-0996.

NOBA is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, and the NEA, a Federal agency; a Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans, and is administered by the Arts Council of New Orleans (ACNO); a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, and is administered through ACNO.

 

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