Las Vegas Weekly

Flash dance with Nevada Ballet Theatre

Professional dancers and elementary school kids dance at an event for Spread the Dance, Nevada Ballet Theatre’s new web-based campaign.

Photo: April Corbin

Nevada Ballet: Spread the Dance

Viewing video requires the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player

Share

• del.icio.us
• digg
• Facebook

E-mail this to a friend »

URL:

Download

• 720p - Quicktime
• iPod

Share

• del.icio.us
• digg
• Facebook

E-mail this to a friend »

URL:

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/videos/2010/jan/22/745/

Embed

Two ballerinas are dancing amid a sea of boogieing elementary-school students on a runway in the middle of a mall on the Las Vegas Strip. Around them dozens watch, some taking photos with cameras or cell phones, others swaying a little themselves, moving to the beat of Black Eyed Peas’ "Boom Boom Pow" playing over the loudspeakers.

This scene makes little sense to some, but to Nevada Ballet Theatre the message is clear: Spread the Dance.

That’s the name of NBT’s interactive online initiative, which launched Thursday at a press conference at Fashion Show Mall. The fundraising and awareness campaign features local celebrities and everyday people talking about the performing arts and, more importantly, getting into the groove.

Photo: April Corbin

Kids from Dondero Elementary School line up in preparation for a dance on the runway at the Fashion Show Mall.

Harrah’s headliner Rita Rudner, celebrity blogger Robin Leach and Area 51s mascot Cosmo all have appeared on video, giving testimonials or dancing for photo shoots. Nevada Ballet Theatre also set up shop outside a recent performance at UNLV’s Ham Hall to get everyday people to appear in its advertisements.

“We got people as they came out of the performance,” NBT Artistic Director James Canfield explained. “They were inspired by the performance.”

The message is to remind people of the integral role dance plays in people’s lives. From professional performers to clumsy kids who just like to dance alone in their bedrooms, dancing is a positive way to release energy and emotions, as well as a great source of exercise.

In addition to debuting their Web site (spreadthedance.org), videos and print campaign, NBT held what it described as a “flash mob” performance featuring 100 elementary-school-age children from its outreach program, four students from its academy and 22 members of the professional troupe.

Though not a true flash mob — those are meant to occur seemingly spontaneously in public places so passer-bys can be surprised, as witnessed at the Phamous Planet Hollywood flash mob and the Fremont Street Experience number — the performance did make mall attendees stop, watch and even donate to the cause. That’s success in Canfield’s eyes.

“We are good corporate community citizens,” he said. “We give back, and that’s why we ask back from the community. We want to remain affordable.”