Step Up

Friday, April 12, 2013
Patricia McBride & Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance
701 North Tryon Street

Charlotte’s African-American community and North Carolina Dance Theatre collaborated for the Third Annual Step Up Soiree on Friday, April 12, 2013, at The Patricia McBride & Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance on North Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte.

Step Up proceeds support NC Dance Theatre’s Dancers’ Fund, which helps the company develop, recruit and retain dancers of color by providing much needed financial resources.

“This year’s event was fabulous! The African-American community truly stepped up to help support the next generation of dancers of color,” said Step Up 2013 Committee Chair Kellie Lofton. “We had over 200 guests and raised over $35,000.”

Attendees enjoyed Latin jazz by Los Leones and delicious from Stone Table. After watching the professional dancers in a captivating performance of Dwight Rhoden’s The Groove, guests had the chance to dance alongside the company dancers at an after party held in an upstairs dance studio and propelled with music by DJ Shogun.

In addition to The Groove, Step Up event sponsors were treated to a performance by students from the North Carolina Dance Theatre School of Dance, including 12-year-old Jared Sutton. Sutton, who received a scholarship at last year’s event, was again awarded the Dancer’s Fund scholarship which allows him to continue his dance studies.

NC Dance Theatre’s second company performed a Latin-inspired ballet which included dancer Amanda Smith, who has been promoted to the first company. Step Up Founder and Co-Chair Kobi Kennedy Brinson said, “We were thrilled to introduce Amanda Smith, Charlotte’s newest African American professional ballerina, at this year’s event. We have not had an African American ballerina to be promoted to the first company since Ayisha McMillan Cravotta left the stage in 2007.”

The event included another exciting announcement – NC Dance Theatre is embarking on a new partnership with Dance Theatre of Harlem. For the next three years, two of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s top students will be invited to be part of NC Dance Theatre’s second company. “This is a groundbreaking partnership” said Brinson. “At next year’s Step Up event guests can look forward to celebrating the first two Dance Theatre of Harlem students who will be part of our second company.”

Lofton and Brinson were joined by fellow Step Up committee members Marcus Kimbrough, Natalie Frazier Allen, Ron Freeman, Nikki Fleming and Natasha Witherspoon. The event was presented by Wells Fargo and Winston & Strawn LLP. Additional lead sponsors include Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, as well as CertusBank N.A., Compass Group N.A., Moore & Van Allen, Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology, and a host of other corporate and individual contributors.

Sponsors

Step Up Committee

Kellie Lofton - Chair  - Kobi Brinson – Co-Chair
Natalie Allen – Nikki Fleming - Marcus Kimbrough
Ron Freeman – Natasha Witherspoon