Bay Area Dancers to Unite for DANCES FROM THE HEART 2 REAF Benefit, 4/28

Dancers from major Bay Area Dance companies will unite for a passionate evening of "DANCES FROM THE HEART 2," presented by the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation (REAF), Sunday, April 28, 2013 - 7:30 pm at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon St., in San Francisco.

Tickets ($40 / $60 perf. only; and $100 -$1,000 patron level includes post-performance reception/ preferred seating) are available at 415- 273-1620 or www.helpisontheway.org.

The gala evening will be a collaborative event uniting dancers from companies around the Bay Area including: Ballet San Jose, Chitresh Das Dance Company, Company C Contemporary Ballet, Diablo Ballet, Joe Goode Performance Group, ODC, Post Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and Salsamania the Bay Area's most exciting salsa dance company.

According to Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation Executive Director Ken Henderson, "Last year's inaugural event was the first time top dance companies from throughout the Bay Area had collaborated for an evening of dance to benefit a cause. While both NYC and Chicago have long-standing dance benefits like this, San Francisco has not been able to bring together its dancers for a cause -- until last year and this year as well. This event has become a welcomed annual event for REAF alongside of our other annual gala benefits "Help is on the Way" and "Help is on the Way for the Holidays" which feature a musical/variety format."

Funds raised will support: The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation of SF, with an additional grant to be made to Dancers' Groups' Parachute Fund.

Benefit Co-Chairs are civic leaders Ron Hummel and John Newmeyer, Kevin Shanahan & Michael Montoya with assistance from Benefit Planning Committee members Darren Anderson, Don Brown, Joseph Candeloro, Robert Dekkers, John Uetz, and Wayne Hazzard. Executive Producers of the event are Ken Henderson and Joe Seiler. Host Committee members include Delia Ehrlich, Andrew Freeman, Darren Iverson, Yan Liu, Donna Sachet and others to be confirmed.

REAF is a 501(c)3 agency dedicated to raising funds for and awareness about AIDS services in the SF Bay Area. It was founded in 1994 by two mothers who lost their only sons to AIDS, as a way to honor their sons' memories and support agencies that care for AIDS patients. To date, REAF has distributed over $2.9 million to 32 AIDS service agencies. Full details are available at www.richmondermet.org.

Pictured: Diablo Ballet's "Escaping Game" - Hiromi, Derek, Robert