Fellow Dance Educators

September 20, 2013

Fellow Dance Educators,

It is with great excitement that I inform you of an extraordinary opportunity for you and your students to learn, grow, and perform. The Maryland Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) will be sponsoring the first annual Maryland Dance Alliance this year. The primary objective of this event is to join together all of the public high school dance programs with the non-public and independent programs, to highlight the outstanding things going on in dance throughout the state. Any high school fine arts program in Maryland will be eligible to attend.

The 2nd Annual Maryland Dance Alliance will be a day -long event on Friday, February 28th at Gordon Center of Performing Arts in Owings Mills, Maryland. The dancers will begin their day with a performance by local artists, and then proceed to two master classes. Their day will conclude with a performance highlighting the some of our strongest dancers. Most importantly, our dancers will have the experience of interacting with fellow dancers across the state, all coming from much different learning environments.

Prior to the event, schools will be asked to submit up to two pieces for adjudication review by December 6, 2013. Upon review, we will determine if the piece will be performed in the evening performance. As the evening performance is limited to 1 ½-2 hours, the adjudicators will select as many pieces as possible to fill the time frame. Schools and students who take class during the day, but who are not chosen to perform are welcomed and encouraged to attend as audience members, free of charge. They will also receive a fourth master class in lieu of performing.

Enclosed please find the following information to help you better understand the process and procedures of the Maryland Dance Alliance.

·  Intention Form (Due: Oct. 25th)

·  Information

o  Fees

o  Schedule

o  Timeline

·  MDA Rules/Standards

·  Video Submission Procedures

·  Program Information Form

·  Dinner Order Form

·  T-shirt Order Form

If your school is interested in taking part in this wonderful event, in its inaugural year, we ask that you complete the Intention Form. The Intention Form is due October 25, 2013.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone 410-887-1905.

Sincerely,

Erin Norton, Kathy Albert, & Glenna Blessing

Co Chairs, Maryland Dance Alliance Performance