Pictured above: Contemporary dancers perform to raise food for the hungry in Artists for a Cause annual series Dance for Food.
Artists for a Cause invites public to donate food and watch contemporary dance through signature Dance for Food event series
Did you know nearly 100,000 people on the Treasure Coast and more than 200,000 people in Palm Beach County don’t know where their next meal will come from? About 16% of the residents on the Treasure Coast, which includes Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties, struggles with hunger, including nearly 35,000 children. Palm Beach County is not immune either. Hunger impacts families and individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities. It affects the homeless as well as working families who were once stable but now need help to survive. Artists for a Cause (A4AC), a Palm City based, national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is doing its part to help fight hunger by producing their seventh annual Dance for Food event series.
Dance for Food is a program designed to bring dancers and audiences together to collect food for the hungry. Artistically directed by Anna Preston, the annual Dance for Food events convene many of Florida’s finest contemporary dancers to showcase their talents to an audience whose only admission fee is a bag of unexpired, nonperishable goods.
The popular “food raiser” will showcase exceptional talent and provide quality entertainment in a variety of venues to help people throughout the region. The four events take place on: November 7, 2015 at 7:30 PM, Duncan Theater, Lake Worth Campus; November 8, 2015 at 4:00 PM, Fort Pierce Arts Magnet School for the Arts; November 15, 2015 at 4:00 PM, Martin County High School; and November 22, 2015 at 4:00 PM, The Kane Center, Stuart.
“Thanks to the hard work of Artistic Director, Anna Preston, our seventh annual Dance for Food events promise to include moving performances and more companies throughout Florida than ever before -- from Tampa to Boca Raton,” said A4AC founder Terry Barber. “Building on the success of past events, this season’s Dance for Food will entertain audiences throughout the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches while collecting food for those in need. Audiences will experience innovative contemporary dances and pre-show entertainment by some of the most gifted young artists in our network. Come, be entertained, and do your part to help end hunger.”
Dancers for the events are all registered with Artists for a Cause and include: Anna Preston, Preston Contemporary Dance Theatre, Treasure Coast; Eric Yow, Yow Dance, Orlando; Anna Nunes, AGWA, Lake Worth; Jesse Hammel, Ballet Atlantica, West Palm Beach; Alicia Chodera, Atlantic East Coast Dance Theatre, Stuart; Donna Murray, The Dancer’s Space (Kravis Center), West Palm Beach; Katrina Soricelli, Independent Artist, Tampa; Maria-Elena Marso, Florida Aerial Dance and Circus Arts, Stuart and Jupiter; Jerlyn Scott, Sinsational Pole Fitness, Jensen Beach; and Bill Evans, International Artist, piece commissioned by Florida Atlantic University Dance Department, Boca Raton.
Student Companies include: Downtown Dance, Lake Worth (November 7); That’s Dancing, Lake Worth (November 7); South Florida Dance Company, Port St. Lucie (November 8); Port St. Lucie High School Dance Department (November 8); Dance Academy of Stuart, Stuart (November 22); and Mo’s Dance Works, Stuart (November 22).
Artists for a Cause invites public to donate food and watch contemporary dance through signature Dance for Food event series
Did you know nearly 100,000 people on the Treasure Coast and more than 200,000 people in Palm Beach County don’t know where their next meal will come from? About 16% of the residents on the Treasure Coast, which includes Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties, struggles with hunger, including nearly 35,000 children. Palm Beach County is not immune either. Hunger impacts families and individuals, seniors, children, and people with disabilities. It affects the homeless as well as working families who were once stable but now need help to survive. Artists for a Cause (A4AC), a Palm City based, national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is doing its part to help fight hunger by producing their seventh annual Dance for Food event series.
Dance for Food is a program designed to bring dancers and audiences together to collect food for the hungry. Artistically directed by Anna Preston, the annual Dance for Food events convene many of Florida’s finest contemporary dancers to showcase their talents to an audience whose only admission fee is a bag of unexpired, nonperishable goods.
The popular “food raiser” will showcase exceptional talent and provide quality entertainment in a variety of venues to help people throughout the region. The four events take place on: November 7, 2015 at 7:30 PM, Duncan Theater, Lake Worth Campus; November 8, 2015 at 4:00 PM, Fort Pierce Arts Magnet School for the Arts; November 15, 2015 at 4:00 PM, Martin County High School; and November 22, 2015 at 4:00 PM, The Kane Center, Stuart.
“Thanks to the hard work of Artistic Director, Anna Preston, our seventh annual Dance for Food events promise to include moving performances and more companies throughout Florida than ever before -- from Tampa to Boca Raton,” said A4AC founder Terry Barber. “Building on the success of past events, this season’s Dance for Food will entertain audiences throughout the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches while collecting food for those in need. Audiences will experience innovative contemporary dances and pre-show entertainment by some of the most gifted young artists in our network. Come, be entertained, and do your part to help end hunger.”
Dancers for the events are all registered with Artists for a Cause and include: Anna Preston, Preston Contemporary Dance Theatre, Treasure Coast; Eric Yow, Yow Dance, Orlando; Anna Nunes, AGWA, Lake Worth; Jesse Hammel, Ballet Atlantica, West Palm Beach; Alicia Chodera, Atlantic East Coast Dance Theatre, Stuart; Donna Murray, The Dancer’s Space (Kravis Center), West Palm Beach; Katrina Soricelli, Independent Artist, Tampa; Maria-Elena Marso, Florida Aerial Dance and Circus Arts, Stuart and Jupiter; Jerlyn Scott, Sinsational Pole Fitness, Jensen Beach; and Bill Evans, International Artist, piece commissioned by Florida Atlantic University Dance Department, Boca Raton.
Student Companies include: Downtown Dance, Lake Worth (November 7); That’s Dancing, Lake Worth (November 7); South Florida Dance Company, Port St. Lucie (November 8); Port St. Lucie High School Dance Department (November 8); Dance Academy of Stuart, Stuart (November 22); and Mo’s Dance Works, Stuart (November 22).
All performances will also feature acclaimed professional dancers. The Dance for Food event held at Martin County High School will be produced and performed entirely by the Martin County A4AC Club.
In the past, Dance for Food has raised over 6,000 meals for families through a single performance. Last year’s series collected nearly 5,000 pounds of food, which was distributed to those in need through charity food bank partners. This year CROS Ministries, Farmworker Coordinating Counsel, Treasure Coast Food Bank and Kane Center Emergency Pantry will partner with A4AC for the Dance for Food events. TCPalm is the official media sponsor.
For those who cannot attend a Dance for Food event but would still like to donate nonperishable goods for struggling families, they can be dropped off at the A4AC office at 1211 Sunset Trail, Palm City. For those who would like to sponsor the event, there is still time. Call A4AC at 772-419-8778, visit our website at a4ac.org, or email terry@a4ac.org for more information. Follow Dance for Food on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DanceForFood.
“Our Dance for Food event is just one of the many ways we are able to fulfill our mission of creatively building better communities,” added Barber. “This performance serves many special purposes. Among them are providing an accessible cultural experience, providing educational, professional, and collaboration opportunity for dancers, and gathering food for those in need.”
Terry Barber, Executive Director and Anna Preston, Director stand before
food raised during a Dance for Food event in the 2014 series.
Terry Barber, Executive Director and Anna Preston, Director stand before
food raised during a Dance for Food event in the 2014 series.
About Artists for a Cause
Artists for a Cause is a Palm City-based, national nonprofit organization that helps visual and performing artists to use their talents for community improvement, stimulating culture, while addressing the critical needs of communities. Some programs help artists and charities to get the most out of their collaboration, while most produce results directly, by feeding the poor, healing the sick, or solving other problems through unique artistic solutions. Additionally, Artists for a Cause never asks artist professionals in a struggling industry to donate or give away their livelihood. No program is merely about art for arts’ sake – Artists for a Cause is about the arts as a solution. To learn more about A4AC please visit www.a4ac.org, call 772-419-8778 or email info@a4ac.org. Registration is available for artists, charities, and volunteers on the website.
