Carolinas HealthCare System presents National Dance Day 2015

Charlotte, NC –Charlotte’s 3rd annual National Dance Day celebration is set for Saturday, July 25, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Wells Fargo Plaza and has even more to offer than ever before. Hundreds of people will enjoy the usual National Dance Day fun but will also get a taste of Breakin’ Convention, the International hip-hop dance theatre festival headed to Charlotte this fall.   

Sponsored by Carolinas HealthCare System, National Dance Day is FREE and open to everyone. 

“Carolinas Healthcare System is proud to support community arts and culture programs through a variety of partnerships that include dance as a means to increasing physical activity, decreasing stress and promoting overall wellness,” says Shawn Spohn, corporate community relations manager from Carolinas Healthcare System. “National Dance Day is a great annual event to celebrate all things dance, which can also influence living a healthy lifestyle.” 

“We are really looking forward to our 3rd annual National Dance Day celebration. It is a great way to come together as a community for an afternoon of fun, exercise, and new experiences,” said Michelle Youngs, assistant director of education at Blumenthal. “We are also excited that participants will receive a sneak-peek inside Breakin' Convention before it invades Charlotte in October. People of all ages and dance levels are welcomed and encouraged to put their dancing shoes on and come on out to celebrate with us at the Wells Fargo Plaza!”

The event is part of Blumenthal’s WHIRL initiative, sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas. The program is designed to give the public a chance to actively participate in the performing arts, as well as watch others giving their inner artists “a whirl” on stage. Along with hosting National Dance Day in Charlotte, Blumenthal hosts regular open mic events for budding artists to perform on Blumenthal stages and will be adding more WHIRL events throughout the year.

National Dance Day was created by Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer of So You Think You Can Dance, to promote health and self-esteem through the art form of dance. Blumenthal Performing Arts will join hundreds of other organizations across the country in hosting an array of participatory dance activities on July 25.

Dance instructors will be on site at the Wells Fargo Plaza to help teach the official National Dance Day routine to attendees, as well as other large group numbers.

Plus, to give National Dance Day attendees a taste of what’s to come with Breakin’ Convention, the world-renowned celebration of hip hop dance culture coming all the way from London to Levine Center for the Arts for the very first time Oct. 9-10, vibrant street art will come to life with a Graffiti Jam, taking place during National Dance Day just two blocks from Wells Fargo Plaza at Goodyear Auto Service Center (100 East Stonewall Street). People of all ages are invited to try their hand at tagging or just enjoy the talent of local graffiti artists as they paint canvases of all shapes and sizes. 

“We are looking forward to bringing this unique opportunity and celebration of artistic expression to our city,” said Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard. “It is important to Blumenthal to create outlets for artists of all kinds here in Charlotte and we’re doing that in a big way with a graffiti jam.” 

In the event of inclement weather, National Dance Day and Graffiti Jam will be moved indoors to the Wells Fargo Atrium. 

To learn more about National Dance Day or Breakin’ Convention CLT, visit BlumenthalArts.org.