BC/EFA Annual Report 2004 - Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS
DECADE: 10 YEARS OF THE FIRE ISLAND DANCE FESTIVAL
In July of 2004, Dancers Responding to AIDS presented DECADE, the tenth year of the Fire Island Dance Festival, a tremendously
successful event that raised more than $160,000. During the past decade, we’ve seen this critically praised celebration of dance
become one of the most anticipated social events of the Pines’ summer season. Alan Cumming emceed the three performances at this
year’s Festival, held at the bay-front home of Beau Clarke. Performers included classical and modern dancers from the Martha
Graham Dance Company, Limón Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and
American Ballet Theatre. The weekend of festivities began on Friday night with a Hawaiian VIP leadership cocktail party at the
beautiful home of William Hayden and Ron Perkov. A highlight of Friday’s event was the appearance of a troupe of hula dancers and
slack-keyed guitar players who entered from the bay via canoe!
NEW YORK CITY FESTIVAL OF DANCE
July 19 through August 6 marked Dancers Responding to AIDS’ New York City Festival of Dance. Activities ranged from benefit
performances to master classes.
Artists of all ages and from all spheres of the dance world – from Broadway to the concert stage – came together to perform in
the main stage performances of Dancing for Life! in Bryant Park. The free outdoor performances showcased such troupes as
Buglisi/Foreman Dance and ballet star Julio Bocca and his Ballet Argentino. Two New Jersey dance studios, The Art of Dance and
Denise Daniele Dance Studio, who tirelessly raised money for DRA throughout the year, performed along with Dance Masters’ Mr.
and Miss Dance of America. On August 5, in conjunction with 106.7 LITE FM, DRA presented Broadway Dances, which featured
dancers from 42nd Street, Bombay Dreams, The Lion King and Movin’ Out. A highlight was Wicked’s Idina Menzel singing her own
composition. Also that evening, Danskin sponsored Ballroom in Bryant Park, featuring performances by Dance Times Square, Stepping
Out Studios, American Ballroom Theatre, and Blackpool competitors Christian Barens and Kristina Staykova.
Homer Avila appeared in over half a dozen editions of The Remember Project. Avila died in April 2004. We remember him fondly;
American Ballet Theatre’s Danny Tidwell dances across the waters at The Fire Island Dance Festival; dance students from Topeka Kansas won a trip to Los Angeles from
The Tremaine Dance Experience. Broadway’s Felicia Finley leads the dancers in Joe Lanteri’s “Hit Me With a Hot Note” at Broadway Dances in Bryant Park
dancers responding to aids
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