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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Harold James |
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Point Breeze Performing Arts Center and partners present 'On Point!'
PHILADELPHIA, March 31 – State Rep. Harold James, D-Phila., today announced a partnership of the Point Breeze Performing Arts Center, The Gallery at Market East and NBC 10 to present "On Point!" from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 19 at The Gallery at Market East, Ninth and Market streets, Philadelphia.
The event will be hosted by NBC 10’s Lori Wilson of the "10!" Show and features PBPAC’s award-winning Point Breeze Dance Co. Other partners of the event include WDAS-FM and Firetree Ltd.'s Lycoming House.
"I have been a longtime champion of PBPAC's 'Arts for Social Change' philosophy," James said. "This event is a chance for the community's youth to showcase their talents and skills, and it's a testament to what can happen when we invest in our young people."
James said that he, NBC 10, Clear Channel station WDAS-FM, CIGNA Foundation and Firetree Ltd.'s Lycoming House have often partnered with PBPAC for a variety of events over the years. The Gallery at Market East has hosted PBPAC events for 10 years.
"On Point!" will mark the premiere of "From West Africa to Urban America: A Journey Through Dance," a West African and hip-hop work by local dancers/choreographers Cachet Ivey and Tyger-B. This piece was made possible by Dance Advance, a program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts. The program will also feature dance pieces created by PBPAC’s Charon Mapp, Point Breeze Dance Co. manager and former PBPAC student, as well as work choreographed by PBPAC’s young dancers. Members of the Point Breeze Dance Co. will appear on NBC 10’s lifestyle and entertainment show “10!” on April 9 to promote "On Point!." "10!" airs weekdays at 2 p.m. on NBC 10.
Point Breeze Performing Arts Center began in 1984, a creation of community activist Dorothy Nolan carried on by her daughter, Donna Nolan Brown. Brown defines the center as "a resource for families; a place where the performing arts become a part of the solution to community despair.”
Point Breeze Dance Co. is one of four training and performance ensembles of PBPAC. Company members range in age from 8 to 18 and train and rehearse a minimum of 14 hours per week year-round. Established in 1992, the ensemble was founded by PBPAC to give its most talented students an opportunity to train and perform under professional artists, including the acclaimed Rennie Harris Puremovement and Pilobolus Too. Members of the company have appeared in Donald Byrd’s "The Harlem Nutcracker" and in the Oprah Winfrey film "Beloved." In addition to local performances, the dance company has performed in New York City; Galveston, Tex.; and abroad in Peru, Australia, Anguilla and Bermuda.
The performance is made possible by the support of the following foundations and sponsors: Clear Channel, Independence Foundation, Ludwick Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, state Reps. Harold James and Dwight Evans, state Sen. Vincent Fumo, and city Councilwoman Anna C. Verna.
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