Parsons Dance Announces Gala Honoree Frederic M. Seegal, DanceMedia Owner

Parsons Dance is pleased to announce its annual gala, taking place on Monday, April 8, 2019 at the Mandarin Oriental New York. This year's gala honors Frederic M. Seegal, owner of DanceMedia, the company that publishes Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, and Dance Retailer News.

In discussing the company's choice to honor Seegal, David Parsons said, "I met Fred about five years ago when he attended a Joyce performance, and I got to know him better when he saw the company perform in Milan. I deeply respect how he has combined his media expertise and business acumen with a real commitment to supporting dance. His contribution to the dance community impacts emerging artists as well as the treasures in our field, and it is a real privilege to pay tribute to him at this year's Gala."

The Gala evening will include cocktails, dinner, and dancing with special performances by company dancers. A highlight of the evening will be an exclusive preview of a selection from Eight Women, commissioned by Parsons Dance and choreographed by Trey McIntyre. Set to the music of Aretha Franklin, the work will make its New York premiere during the company's annual two-week season at The Joyce Theater. Parsons Dance company members Zoey Anderson (2019 recipient of The Clive Barnes Award for Dance) and Katie Garcia will perform a selected duet set to the Aretha Franklin hit "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Tickets for the 2019 Parsons Dance Gala, starting at $1,000, may be purchased at www.parsons.org/gala.

FREDERIC M. SEEGAL is a finance professional and the owner of DanceMedia, the publisher of Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, and Dance Retailer News. He brings his deep knowledge of and passion for the performing arts, particularly dance, to his work to support the dance media landscape. Since October 2018, Mr. Seegal has served as Managing Director, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Cowen and Company. Prior to joining Cowen, Mr. Seegal served as Senior Advisor and Vice-Chairman at PJ Solomon, where he played a key role strengthening its media, entertainment, communications, and technology practices. During his 35-year investment banking career, Mr. Seegal served as President at Wasserstein Perella and in various roles at Salomon Brothers and Lehman Brothers, concentrating primarily on major traditional and digital media and telecom clients. Mr. Seegal received his B.A. in Political Science from Cornell University, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and an L.L.B. from Harvard Law School. In 2016, Mr. Seegal acquired the five dance-related publications of DanceMedia. In 2018, he brought together the Dance Magazine Awards with the Harkness Foundation for Dance to create the Harkness Promise Awards to nurture emerging talent in the dance field. Mr. Seegal is the current Chair of the Board of Trustees of the James Beard Foundation, and previously served as the Chairman of the Parrish Art Museum, and President of American Ballet Theater. He has also served on the Boards of New York City Center, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, Neuberger Museum, Gallim Dance, and Southampton Hospital.

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