American Dance Institute Supports Expansion of CityDance into Rockville Facility

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- American Dance Institute announced today that, beginning in September 2015, it will support the expansion of the CityDance School & Conservatory, headquartered at the Music Center at Strathmore, into studio space at ADI's Rockville facility. The arrangement will optimize use of ADI's 20,000 square foot space, housing ADI's performance programs as well as a satellite location for CityDance's thriving Montgomery County-based dance school and pre-professional training program. "CityDance is extremely excited about the opportunities to realize so many of our plans for growth that this additional space will allow. And we are very thankful to ADI for its support. We look forward to continuing with our mission to establish the greater Washington, DC area as a center for excellence in dance training, performance and community-based arts education," said Alexandra Nowakowski, Executive Director of CityDance.

Led by Artistic Director Lorraine Spiegler, MA graduate of American University and former faculty member and Director of Education and Outreach for The Washington Ballet, CityDance School & Conservatory offers superlative pre-professional training steeped in classical tradition and complimented by contemporary techniques to equip students with the tools they need to thrive in today's professional dance world. "CityDance's focus on preparing well-rounded dancers is perfectly in line with the philosophy of ADI's dance education programs," said ADI Executive Director, Adrienne Willis.

In September, ADI will begin a national scholarship program to provide funds to promising young dance students to study at the schools of their choice. "We are thoughtfully and very intentionally refocusing ADI's education programs to provide a substantial amount of financial assistance each year to nurture young dance talent across the country," said Willis. ADI School, founded by Michael and Pamela Bjerknes and led for the past five years by former Washington Ballet principal dancers Erin and Runqiao Du, will close at the end of the summer after fifteen years of providing high-quality dance instruction in a supportive environment to DC-area students. Willis added, "The ADI Future Artists Scholarship Fund is being designed to add another exciting dimension to our mission-driven programs and to have broad reach and lasting impact on the future of the dance field. At the same time, by supporting CityDance to open a satellite program in our space we are furthering ADI's mission of advancing artistic excellence, remaining dedicated to the students we have nurtured in our Rockville home and ensuring that Montgomery County continues to be a vibrant center for dance education." Details of the scholarship program will be released this summer.

ADI will also continue to present its popular performance programs in Rockville, which provide technical residencies for professional contemporary dance choreographers and bring some of the most respected contemporary artists to the DC area for critically acclaimed performances and world premieres.

About CityDance
Founded in 1996, CityDance produces and presents professional dance at venues across the DC metropolitan area; trains young dancers for professional careers; and provides free dance education programs for thousands of students each year.
CityDance OnStage brings highly acclaimed national and international companies to the region's most prestigious performance venues; supports and nurtures emerging choreographers to create and perform original work; and provides an unparalleled opportunity for CityDance students to work and perform with professional artists.
CityDance School & Conservatory provides over 600 students each week with high level dance training including the CityDance Conservatory, an intensive pre-professional training program that prepares young dancers for professional careers.
CityDance's Community Programs, including DREAM and ReachDC, are offered at over 25 community-based sites across the DC-metro region providing free performances to over 5,000 students each year; in-school and after-school programs to 500 students every week; and camps to over 400 students every summer.

About ADI
American Dance Institute (ADI) is a dance presenter and residency site in Rockville, Maryland committed to the mission of advancing artistic excellence through education, performance and a strong commitment to the development of new works. Founded in 1999 as a dance school, in 2010 the organization embarked on an ambitious strategic planning initiative to reimagine how ADI could better utilize its resources to fill gaps in established support structures in the American contemporary dance field and expand the scope of contemporary performance offered in the Washington, DC area. The endeavor resulted in the development of a Performance Series, a nationally recognized late-stage residency program – ADI Incubator – and a substantial new commissioning initiative – The Solange MacArthur Award for New Choreography. ADI's evolution continues in 2015 with a reaffirmation of the organization's commitment to supporting the development of young artists through implementation of The ADI Future Artists Scholarship Program and an expansion of the Incubator, adding ADI/NYC, a new component to support artists' work in New York City.

SOURCE American Dance Institute