(openPR) - Los Angeles, CA (May 19, 2008) – Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation, an inner-city non-profit that has for years provided free, quality dance training to thousands of underserved Los Angeles children, announced today that its 8th Annual Event on May 31, 2008 will honor two veterans of the Los Angeles dance scene.
Honored will be Yvonne Mounsey, founder and director of “Westside Ballet,” one of the West Coast’s premier ballet schools and training companies, and veteran tap dancer Arthur Duncan. Ms. Mounsey, 88, began her professional dance career at the age of 19, joined Balanchine’s New York City Ballet in 1948 and founded Westside Ballet in 1968.
Arthur Duncan, 74, is being honored for his decades as the industry’s quintessential song and dance man --- “the King of Tap” Lawrence Welk called him --- and for breaking racial barriers as the first African-American regular on a variety television program, "The Lawrence Welk Show," where he was a featured performer from 1964 to 1982.
Mounsey will receive the Advancement of the Arts Award and Duncan will receive the Gregory Hines Humanitarian Award.
Also honored will be actress/dancer Jenna Dewan ("Step Up" and "Take the Lead") with the Limelight Award, and the Lynn Soodik-Stephan Wasserman Family with the Founders Award.
Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation (www.gabriellaaxelradfoundation.org) is an inner-city non-profit that has for years provided free, quality dance training to thousands of underserved Los Angeles children through its program, “everybody dance!." The "Los Angeles Times" described its dance faculty as “some of the best children’s dance instructors in the world”; its students have gone on to prestigious schools (Juilliard) and to win prestigious awards in the dance field (Los Angeles Music Center “Spotlight Award,” among others). The Foundation also operates Gabriella Charter School, serving 152 children, grades K-5. All students receive one hour of daily dance instruction and dance is integrated into a standard curriculum.
Event attendees will participate in a cocktail reception and dinner, followed by an awards presentation and dance performances by "everybody dance!" students. Featured performances include a tap piece by Arthur Duncan and the students of everybody dance!.
Following is the evening's schedule:
6:00 p.m. – Cocktail Reception, Grand Horizon Terrace in Covel Commons
7:00 p.m. – Dinner, Grand Horizon Room in Covel Commons
8:00 p.m. – Awards Presentation and Performance, Northwest Campus Auditorium
Dessert Reception Following Performance
Cocktail Attire
Net proceeds from the event will go towards the Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation. Call (213) 365-2491 for ticket information.
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Press Contact:
Livia Squires, Publicist
Squires PR
142 N. Clark Dr.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 273-4340 contact@squirespr.com
About Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation - Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation was established in 1999 in memory of Gabriella Axelrad, a 13–year old who loved to dance. Through its program "everybody dance!" the Foundation provides dance classes free of charge to inner-city Los Angeles children. The dance program currently teaches over 100 weekly dance classes in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern and creative movement to over 1000 children. For more information visit www.everybodydance.org or email liza@everybodydance.org.
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