The Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) and two of the nation’s most renowned performing arts centers, The Music Center in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will celebrate National Dance Day (NDD) on Saturday, July 27, 2013.

Launched in 2010 by “So You Think You Can Dance” (SYTYCD) co-creator and DFF co-president Nigel Lythgoe, NDD is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. This grassroots campaign encourages Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health and combat obesity.

“My goal is to get people on their feet, as much for health reasons as for artistic reasons,” said Lythgoe. “National Dance Day is for everyone — individuals, families and communities — to come together, be physically active and celebrate the art of dance.”

NDD achieved national recognition when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, announced at a press conference on July 31, 2010, in Washington, D.C., that she was introducing a congressional resolution declaring the last Saturday in July to be the country’s official National Dance Day.

As its official contribution to NDD, each year DFF produces and distributes instructional videos featuring dance routines for the public to learn. DFF encourages anyone and everyone to learn the routines and perform them on NDD. This year, film director, producer and SYTYCD judge Adam Shankman choreographed an “Everybody Dance” routine for people of all levels of ability; this routine features the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell. Additionally, SYTYCD choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo have created a “Hip-Hop Master Class” routine for those who want to challenge themselves; this routine features the song

“Live It Up” by Jennifer Lopez. The “Everybody Dance” routine will be available Tuesday, June 25; the “Hip-Hop Master Class” routine will be available Tuesday, July 2. Both routines can be found on DFF’s YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/dizzyfeetfoundation ; both tracks can be purchased on iTunes and links will be provided.

DFF also encourages the public to submit videos of themselves performing the routines. Select videos may be included on SYTYCD and can be submitted via DFF’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dizzy-Feet-Foundation/130895624321

DFF is partnering with two of the country’s premier performing arts centers, The Music Center and the Kennedy Center, to host official NDD events on July 27. At each event, dancers will lead the crowd in both routines, after which time the public is encouraged to participate in an array of dance-related activities.

In Los Angeles, DFF and The Music Center will present a program of festivities at Los Angeles County’s beautiful new civic space, Grand Park, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Emceed by Shankman, the event will feature the two interactive dance routines, led in person by Lythgoe and Shankman as well as Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo. Grand Park visitors will also experience the novelty of dancing in the splash pad of the park’s fountain during a series of dance classes and be treated to a special performance by Los Angeles-based dance company, Still Motion, led by SYTYCD choreographer, director and dancer, Stacey Tookey.

In Washington, D.C., DFF and the Kennedy Center will present free dance performances, dance lessons and interactive dances from 1:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. on the Center’s South Plaza. From 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. on the Millennium Stage, Hip-Hop troupe Culture Shock professional and youth companies will share the stage with celebrated dance duo the Manzari Brothers, who combine an exciting range of different genres of music with their own style of tap dance. This hour-long performance will be streamed live on the Kennedy Center website and be archived for future viewings. At 8:00 p.m., the dancing and dance lessons continue with “Dancing Under the Stars” on the South Plaza until 11:30 p.m., featuring live music by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with special guest Tito Rodriguez, Jr.

Since National Dance Day is for everyone, those who want to celebrate are encouraged to create their own events to share with their families and communities, from flash mobs, dance-a-thons and charitable dance events to parents and children sharing a fun moment of dance at home.

Furthermore, to mark this year’s events, DFF has partnered with Revolution Dancewear and its soon-to-be launched Dance Direct US brand to create a special limited-edition NDD shirt designed by DFF board member, Stephen “tWitch” Boss (SYTYCD, “Step Up Revolution”). The shirts will be available for sale on July 27 at Grand Park and the Kennedy Center, as well as online at Revolution Dancewear’s special Dance Direct US site at http://dancedirect.com/ndd.

Visit http://dizzyfeetfoundation.org/national-dance-day for more information about National Dance Day.

About The Dizzy Feet Foundation
The Dizzy Feet Foundation was established in 2009 by Nigel Lythgoe, Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Katie Holmes, among others, to support, improve and increase access to dance education in the United States. Guided by a board representing all aspects of the American dance community, the foundation’s mission is threefold:

(1) To sponsor, fund, and/or support dance education programs that expose children in underserved areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education through and with local community organizations; (2) To provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios or institutions; (3) In conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations, to support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States. The Dizzy Feet Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization. (Federal Tax Identification No: 26- 4501295).

About The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America’s living memorial to President Kennedy and with nine theaters and stages, it is the nation’s busiest performing arts facility. Audiences and visitors total three million people annually; Center-related touring productions, television and radio broadcasts welcome 40 million more. Opening its doors on September 8, 1971, the Center presents the greatest performances of music, dance and theater; supports artists in the creation of new work; and serves the nation as a leader in arts and arts management education. As part of the Kennedy Center’s Performing Arts for Everyone outreach program, the Center stages more than 400 free performances of music, dance and theater by artists from throughout the world each year on the Center’s main stages, and every evening at 6:00 p.m. on the Millennium Stage. The Millennium Stage is brought to you by Target and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. For more information please visit www.kennedy-center.org.

About The Music Center
A leader at the cultural heart of Los Angeles County, The Music Center brings to life one of the world’s premier arts destinations by creating opportunities for arts participation, enabling compelling programming and providing first class venues and services. The Music Center is one of the largest and most highly regarded performing arts centers in the country, creating a cultural hub that is central to L.A.’s status as “the creative capital” of the world. Celebrated for its illustrious dance programming Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center and home to four world-class resident companies– LA Phil, Centre Theatre Group, LA Opera and Los Angeles Master Chorale – The Music Center is the place to experience the most innovative and critically-acclaimed performing arts in the nation. In its effort to extend the reach and accessibility of the performing arts, the Music Center is a national model for experiences in which people participate directly through its Active Arts® at The Music Center. As well, The Music Center presents special productions, events and festivals for children and families, including World City at The Music Center. Each year, more than one-million audience members delight in the excitement of live performances on The Music Center’s stages and enjoy free community arts events all year long across its outdoor campus. For more information, visit http://www.musiccenter.org/

About Grand Park
Under the leadership of The Music Center, Grand Park has become a vibrant outdoor community gathering place for all, adding a new spirit and vitality to downtown. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Grand Park celebrates the cultural vitality of Los Angeles County and is host to community events, cultural experiences, holiday celebrations and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities throughout the county. One of the biggest parks in downtown Los Angeles, the 12-acre Grand Park stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east. Under the direction of the county, Grand Park was developed by Related Companies with an award-winning creative team, including landscape architect, Rios Clementi Hale Studios; general contractor, Charles Pankow Builders; environmental graphic design firm, Sussman/Prejza; and fountain design consultants, Fluidity. For more information, visit http://grandparkla.org/