NORD/NOBA Presents Free Performance Of WHERE'S WALDA IN HOLLYWOOD? 5/16

The NORD/NOBA Center for Dance, a cultural community partnership between the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) and the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) offering free dance programming to local youth, invites the community to a FREE Performance of Where's Walda in Hollywood?, Sunday, May 16, 4:00pm at Dixon Hall, Tulane University. The production features student performances by the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance Pre-Professional and After-School Dance Programs, as well as special guest appearances by participants of the CFD's program for senior citizens.

Approximately 400 dancers representing all five NORD Centers and the St. Benilde and St. Jerome After-School Dance Programs will take to the stage for this new twist on the classic pop-culture "Where's Waldo" series. The dance follows the journey of Walda, performed by 11 year-old Destiny Billot, as she arrives in Hollywood and visits the sets of movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, Pink Panther, Mission Impossible, Moulin Rouge, and Indiana Jones. At the end of her journey, Walda transforms into the glamorous movie star she always aspired to, surrounded by red carpets, paparazzi, and even her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"Where's Walda in Hollywood? is different than many of our past presentations because it's not the typical fairytale ballet," said Chara Dillon Mock, Education Coordinator. "By using the Hollywood theme, the faculty teaching artists had a lot of creative freedom for choreographing their dances - we've incorporated character, modern, jazz, tap and ballet all into one production. Plus, with so many children from different centers performing, the pop-culture element will help to keep the audience consistently engaged."

This spring, more than 350 students are studying dance tuition-free through the NORD/NOBA Center For Dance. Founded in 1992 with seed money from the Freeport-McMoran Foundation, The Center was born out of a need to make dance accessible to all school-age children. A program that began with just 30 students at only one NORD center now has an annual gross enrollment of more than 300 children at 5 NORD centers citywide. With a core curriculum of ballet, classes are open to any child in Orleans Parish with a demonstrated interest in dance. Through a professional faculty, master classes by NOBA Main Stage artists and other visiting artists, a mentor program and field trips, the Center works with each child to cultivate dreams and strengthen futures. The Center is the recipient of 2002 Coming Up Taller Award, nominated for the Big Easy Classical Arts Award for best dance performance, and has received national grants through the NEA and the National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts.

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

Currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary Season, the New Orleans Ballet Association is the Central Gulf region's premiere presenting and service organization dedicated solely to the art of dance. NOBA's dynamic Main Stage season annually features a diverse array of world-class companies and artists. Each year NOBA provides concerts, classes, workshops and lectures to more than 25,000 area dance enthusiasts of all ages. In addition, NOBA's nationally recognized award-winning education programs provide the youth of our community access to quality arts programs with 2,500 activities annually through performances, classes, and workshops, more than 90% of which are free. The NOBA programs are a recipient of the 2005 Louisiana Governor's Arts Award, and 2005 Big Easy Classical Arts Award.

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