Dance Informa covers Dance Against Cancer

On Monday, April 25, Dance Informa will cover New York City’s annual Dance Against Cancer (DAC) event live on Twitter and Instagram. Here’s how you can get involved in support of the cause and your favorite dance stars:

– Follow Dance Informa on Twitter and Instagram (@DanceInforma)

– Follow Dance Against Cancer on Twitter (@ACSDACNY) and Instagram (@DanceAgainstCancer)

– Like and reshare our posts using the following hashtags: #danceagainstcancer #danceinforma #americancancersociety

– Contribute what you can at dacny.org. As little as a $1 can make a huge difference!

Founded in 2011 by dancers Daniel Ulbricht and Erin Fogarty-Bittner, DAC has raised $575,000 to date in support of the American Cancer Society’s efforts to combat cancer. These funds are allocated toward groundbreaking research and early-detection programs, direct patient assistance on local and national levels, and educational opportunities for both at-risk communities and health care professionals.

“Our long-term aim is to eradicate this awful disease,” Ulbricht shared in an interview with Dance Informa last month. “Our near-term goal is to use dance, to use this gift that we have, as the primary mode to celebrate and create awareness.”

This year, the event will feature performances by the following dancers and companies:

New York City Ballet: Robert Fairchild, Craig Hall, Maria Kowroski, Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck, Amar Ramasar and Daniel Ulbricht

American Ballet Theatre: Stella Abrera, Skylar Brandt, Blaine Hoven and Gillian Murphy

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Rachael McLaren and Matthew Rushing

Washington Ballet and English National Ballet: Brooklyn Mack

Freelance Artists: Wendy Whelan, Jared Grimes

Companies: Parsons Dance,
BalletX,
Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca, Bad Boys of Ballet and Manhattan Youth Ballet

Nearly every artist on the program has experienced a personal encounter with cancer, including Ulbricht and Fogarty-Bittner, both of whom lost a parent to the disease.

“There is no compensation for this [event], and I give these dancers so much credit for their generosity,” Ulbricht stated in our interview. “They are deciding to do something different with their gifts. We feel that from the most veteran performer to the youngest dancer on the bill.”

Photo: Carrie Walsh and Herman Cornejo perform Two Sunsets by Cornejo for Dance Against Cancer 2015. Photo by Cherylynn Tsushima.