Heidi Duckler Dance to Celebrate 36th Annual Gala This Month

The Heidi Duckler Dance (HDD) 36th annual gala, taking place on October 23, will be an evening to remember with champagne, hors d'oeuvres, dinner, dancing, and an online auction. This celebration will be held outdoors in the beautiful grounds of the Wilfandel Club and will honor two women who have made a significant impact on Los Angeles throughout their careers: Avis Ridley-Thomas, Executive Director of the Institute of Nonviolence in Los Angeles; and Zahirah Mann, President & CEO of SLATE-Z, a place-based initiative whose mission is to revitalize South Los Angeles by moving residents to economic opportunity.

During the event, Heidi Duckler Dance will entertain guests with live music, the screening of their recent film, Lost & Found, a film inspired in part by Paul Williams' Founders Church in Koreatown, and performances by the company and St Mary's Academy. All proceeds from the online auction and ticket sales will go to further Heidi Duckler Dance's mission which is rooted in democratic dance, arts education, and spatial justice.

The Wilfandel Club is the oldest African-American women's club in Los Angeles. It was established in 1945 with the goal of promoting civic betterment, philanthropic endeavors, and general culture by entrepreneur and community leader, Fannie Williams and philanthropist, Della Williams-the wife of Paul Revere Williams, the noted Los Angeles Architect who was the first African-American to become an architect west of Mississipp and posthumously awarded the prestigious AIA Gold Medal. Although many of Williams' buildings have been demolished, the Wilfandel Club, a beloved personal project remains.

Tickets to the celebration can be found here: bit.ly/hdd36th