Charlotte's NATIONAL DANCE DAY is Coming Up, 7/26

Charlotte's premiere National Dance Day celebration is back and will be even bigger and better than before when hundreds of people dance the day away at Wells Fargo Plaza (301 South Tryon Street) on Saturday, July 26, from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Carolinas HealthCare System, this event is FREE and open to everyone.

"When it comes to fitness, if you enjoy what you're doing, you're more likely to incorporate it into your daily routine," said Lucy Thompson Dean, assistant vice president at Carolinas HealthCare System. "We encourage all of our teammates to find and practice a type of exercise that they love - including dance. We even offer a few types of dance-related fitness classes for our teammates, including Zumba and Socacize."

"National Dance Day is all about having fun and getting some great exercise," said Blumenthal's Director of Education Ralph Beck. "No prior dance experience is necessary and we encourage everyone to come join in all the fun. Last year, we saw people of all ages dancing their hearts out and we look forward to that again this year!"

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 26.

Dance instructors will be on site at the Wells Fargo Plaza to help teach the two National Dance Day routines to attendees, as well as other large group numbers. In the event of inclement weather, the celebration will be moved indoors to the Wells Fargo Atrium.

To learn more about National Dance Day, visit BlumenthalArts.org where a link to the official National Dance Day instructional videos and music tracks will be posted later this month.

ABOUT BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS
Blumenthal Performing Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment and education provider. For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Performing Arts receives operating support from the Arts & Science Council and the North Carolina Arts Council. Blumenthal Performing Arts is also supported through the generous aid of its sponsors including, Carolinas HealthCare System and Piedmont Natural Gas.