A week ago, I visited the young dancers of REMIX as they rehearsed for their performance in “Dare to Dance 5: Love Uprising” (Fri May 1, 8pm; Sat May 2, 4pm & 8pm). REMIX is a local independent dance team focusing on girls between the ages of 6 and 12. Ilia (age 11) and Kierra (age 12), two advanced members of the team, had choreographed a whole segment and taught it to the grown-ups, including three parents of team members. When we asked Imani (age 6) what she liked about performing on stage, she thought for a while and said shyly: “Dance in front of a lot of people.”
Their performance just about sums up what I love about Dare to Dance. It’s a venue for dancers of all ages to create and learn. It’s a stage for loved ones, families, friends, and communities to perform together. It’s also a celebration where we all share in the joy of dance.
The theme of “Love Uprising” sprung into my mind over two years ago as we were gearing up for “Dare to Dance 3.” This week, that original vision is finally coming to life, thanks to months of hard work from over a dozen choreographers and 50+ dancers. For me, it feels like great timing. As much progress as we’ve made as a society, there is seemingly an abundance of negativity going on right now. Inequality, injustice, conflict, and suffering – we hear about them every single day. Sometimes we may feel a little hopeless. But I remain a believer of human nature. I believe love is ever-present. No matter what else happens, it is love that will always carry us through and make us better. Love will rise up.
In this show, we celebrate many kinds of love. Parental love. Sibling love. Romantic love. Friendly love. Love for oneself. Love of country, and love for mankind. We invite you and your loved ones to come celebrate love with us.