LATIN BALLET OF VIRGINIA TO PRESENT
ARTS-IN-EDUCATION DANCE RESIDENCY
AT FIVE LOCAL SCHOOLS

Dancers from the Latin Ballet of Virginia will be working intensively with students at five local schools October 31-November 4 in the Cabarrus Arts Council’s first arts-in-education residency.

The residency is being funded by grants from Philip Morris USA and the North Carolina Arts Council. 

Seven Latin dancers will spend the week in Cabarrus County.  They will work with a select group of 25-30 students at A. T. Allen, Beverly Hills, Rocky River and Woodrow Wilson Elementary Schools and with middle school ESL students at the Glenn Center.  At each school, the dancers will conduct daily workshops with the small group of students, lead a teacher workshop for the school’s faculty and present an exciting performance for the school’s entire student body or several grades.

During the residency, children will learn about Latin culture and history and how dance fits into both as they learn Latin dances themselves.  The workshops and performers will foster understanding between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students while the residency will develop self-confidence and self-discipline among participants.

The Latin Ballet of Virginia is the premiere Latin dance company in the region.  Their exciting professional performances attract large audiences throughout the Southeast.  The dancers are trained extensively in the craft of art education and their workshops and residencies are invaluable for educators and students alike.

The residency program was open to all elementary schools and ESL programs in the Cabarrus County and Kannapolis City Schools. Participants were selected based on competitive applications and paid a small fee.

In addition to the residencies, the Latin Ballet will present a free public performance of Dia De Los Muertos on Saturday, November 5, at 7 p.m. at the Glenn Center, 120 Marsh Avenue, Concord.  A performing arts interpretation of Mexico’s traditional Day of the Dead festival, Dia De Los Muertos is a festive celebration of life.

The Latin Ballet will also conduct a workshop for students at the Hispanic Learning Center on Wednesday, November 2, at 5 p.m. 

For more information about the residency, the Latin Ballet’s performance or other Cabarrus Arts Council activities, please call 704-920-2787 or visit www.cabarrusartscouncil.org.

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