DanceUp Summer 2017 Newsletter

up dance

Our largest graduating class is headed to college, pg. 5

Rebeca Ramos on the Annual Concert creation process, pg. 6

Lizbeth finds courage through dance, pg. 8

SUMMER

NEWS FROM THE WOODEN FLOOR

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#DanceIsTheAnswer

As the NBC program, Give, was broadcast across the nation this spring, we received social media connections and emails from local supporters and from new friends around the country and the globe! They were eager to learn about The Wooden Floor’s incredible mission and how it could impact children in their own community. We could sense an energy building.

This energy was furthered this past March Dawn S. Reese during our Inside the Studio event. Attendees Chief Executive Officer a glimpse into the creation of our @DawnSReese received 34th Annual Concert. They asked questions of both the choreographers and students about our dance approach, which values exploration, discovery, and innovation. As the audience heard, these values ultimately lead to important life skills. Students highlighted experiences such as learning to emotionally express themselves through movement, looking for a multiplicity of answers to solving a problem, and building consensus through decision-making techniques.

The evening culminated with Jocelyn, from the Class of 2017, sharing a quote that inspired her to achieve her dreams for college, which was told to her by Guest Choreographer John Heginbotham during his second Annual Concert residency at The Wooden Floor. He said, “A famous jazz singer once told me that you need three things in order to succeed in life: luck, talent, and hard work. You can't control luck, talent you're born with, but you can control your work ethic."

As you read more about our Annual Concert throughout the pages of this newsletter, my hope is for you to truly feel the integral role that dance plays in our students’ journeys to higher education and beyond. I also hope you are inspired to attend a performance, and invite friends to help us spread the word. Feeling the loving energy of a community audience, each and every year, is critical to our students’ development of self. Plus, I believe you will leave inspired by their energy and beauty. Dance is the Answer!

With warmest gratitude,

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The Wooden Floor

Mission

Moment

Students in choreographer Keely Garfield’s Annual Concert piece gather in a circle before every rehearsal. Each dancer expresses the feelings and events from their day. Instead of leaving those feelings “at the door,” Garfield encourages students to bring those emotions onto the dance floor and into their co-creation process.

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Newsfeed Snapshots of our youth in motion.

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@TheWoodenFloor

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AT PIMCO Our female students were inspired by stories of accomplishment from PIMCO executives.

Students learned about a variety of career fields and the lesson that "no dream is too big."

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UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS TOUR High schoolers, including more freshmen than ever, participated in a college tour at the University of Redlands. Opportunities like these allow our students to explore their college paths much earlier than their peers.

EN EL ESTUDIO Parents were invited to watch their children demonstrate sections of their dance for the 34th Annual Concert. This provided parents with powerful insight into how meaningful dance-making is to their children.

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FREE ACTŠ TEST PREP Students took our very first ACT test prep course. This, in addition to our SAT courses, provides our students with the preparation they need for the college application process, allowing them to become college competitive.

The Wooden Floor

Introducing

The Class of 2017 Our largest graduating class to date has been accepted to the following colleges and universities around the nation: Agnes Scott College Beloit College Biola University Brigham Young University Idaho Brigham Young University Utah Cal Baptist University Cal Poly Pomona Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Clark University Concordia University Portland Concordia University Irvine

CSU Channel Islands CSU Chico CSU Dominguez Hills CSU Fullerton CSU Long Beach CSU Los Angeles CSU Monterey Bay CSU Northridge CSU Sacramento CSU San Marcos CSU Stanislaus Fullerton College Grand Canyon University Hampshire College Holy Names University Irvine Valley College

Lawrence University UC Merced Mount Holyoke College UC Riverside Pace University UC San Diego Pacific Lutheran University UC Santa Barbara San Diego State University UC Santa Cruz San Francisco State University of the Pacific University University of Redlands San Jose State University University of San Francisco Santa Ana College University of Southern Santa Monica College California Santiago Canyon College University of Utah Smith College Utah Valley University Sonoma State University West Virginia University Southern Utah University Whittier College UC Davis Whitworth College UC Irvine Willamette University

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Behind the Creation of The Wooden Floor’s Annual Concert

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The Wooden Floor

“Creating the Annual Concert is literally building something out of nothing. There is no concept in the beginning, and it starts to emerge when the Guest Choreographers meet the children. The choreographers engage and lead the children in a really beautiful process of experimentation, trial and error, looking into the many possibilities of movement. It is a very interesting way for young people to learn about themselves, about working with their peers, about leading and sometimes being led.

So to me, it is the biggest and most enriching experience that they can have here at The Wooden Floor.

As a Rehearsal Assistant, I am the link between the choreographer and the students, and that is a very personal and important role I have the privilege to play. I ensure they know that having a stage is a responsibility.

If you’re going to stand on a stage, you have to say something. It helps youth become better people in society, better citizens. They become responsible for their actions, responsible for what they say.

"The audience is going to see something that has never been done before."

To see a performance done in a very professional way, with children, is very compelling. The audience is going to see something that has never been done before. I think the theater fulfills its job—not just as entertainment—but as a tool for education as well. The audience comes out filled with new thoughts and emotions. That is the nature of the work that we do, work that is going to say something.”

Rebeca Ramos has been on faculty at The Wooden Floor and an Annual Concert Rehearsal Assistant since 1998. She was born in Mexico City and is a former dancer with the Compañía Nacional de Danza de México and came to the United States in the summer of 1998. She was a part of the production of Phantom of the Opera from 1989 to 1993.

Tickets on Sale

34th Annual Concert: Connected spaces June 1-3, 2017 Irvine Barclay Theatre

Benefit Seating, $50* Individual Seating, $20 Children under 13 and students, $10 *includes $30 tax-deductible donation

www.TheWoodenFloor.org/ConnectedSpaces 7

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In the First Person Lizbeth, Class of 2021 “When I started at The Wooden Floor, I thought it would be super strict and that technique was the most important thing. But then, they taught me that how you’re feeling and how you express yourself are much more important. Dance helped me express myself in a way that I didn’t think I could. It was a feeling I never felt. I could just let myself go.

I have health struggles, and The Wooden Floor has been a kind of physical therapy for me. My classes are weekly and consistent. My mom always tells me that she gets scared for me, but, for some reason, I never get scared. Dance helped with that attitude.

Sometimes movements can make you fall, but if you don’t think about it too much and just do it from your heart, you’ll succeed—and it might look really cool!

Here everyone is really accepting about differences.

I had to have surgery and take six months off. When I came back, everyone was so welcoming. We know that we’re all different and we celebrate that by bringing everyone together.”

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Lizbeth has been at The Wooden Floor for five years, and through free one-on-one tutoring and academic workshops, she has brought her grades up, receiving all A’s and one B last semester. Connected spaces will be her third Annual Concert performance.

The Wooden Floor

Continue a Lifetime of Support for a Mission You Believe In Have you ever considered including a charitable organization in your will or estate plan to make a lasting impact on a cause that is important to you? Different gifts may benefit you in different ways. Plus, gifts of all sizes can significantly propel forward a mission like that of The Wooden Floor to benefit future generations of children.

▪▪ Gifts Through Your Will – Remembering The Wooden Floor in your will can help you reduce estate taxes and ensure the life changing work you care about will continue.

▪▪ Gifts Outside Your Will – You can name The Wooden Floor as beneficiary on appreciated securities, retirement plans, insurance policies, or real estate.

▪▪ Gifts That Pay You Back for Life – Receive payments back for your lifetime, save on your current income taxes, and possibly reduce or eliminate estate tax and probate expenses with a gift to The Wooden Floor.

For more information on making a legacy gift, or inform us of an existing gift provision, please contact Keegan Bell at 714.541.8314 ext. 140 or Keegan@TheWoodenFloor.org.

2016-2017 Board of Directors James A. Driscoll,* Chairman Community Leader

Felisha Luna, Parent Representative Community Leader

Ernesto M. Vasquez,* FAIA, NCARB, Immediate Past Chairman Partner & CEO, SVA Architects, Inc.

Catherine M. MacIver, Community Leader

Arthur Ong,* Vice Chairman Executive Vice President, Deputy General Counsel PIMCO Judith F. Posnikoff, PhD,* Treasurer Managing Director, Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC Epiphany Owen,* Secretary Partner, Government & Regulatory Law, Rutan & Tucker, LLP Theresa Allen, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, First Republic Private Wealth Management Sasha Ayloush, Customer Service Manager and Secretary of the Board of Directors, Hydraflow

Victoria Marks, Choreographer/Professor, University of California, Los Angeles Danny Melita, Community Leader Yvonne R. O’Neill,* Certified Public Accountant, O’Neill Financial Management Dawn S. Reese, CFRE Chief Executive Officer, The Wooden Floor Kristy Santimyer-Melita, Community Leader Saar Swartzon,* Principal Attorney, Cohn & Swartzon, a Professional Law Corporation Mary E. Tolar, Vice President and Senior Strategic Program Manager, American Funds/Capital Group Companies, Inc. Joan Beall, Board Emerita Community Leader

Gilbert R. Cisneros, President and Co-Founder, The Gilbert & Jacki Cisneros Foundation

Beth A. Burns, Board Emerita Founder of The Wooden Floor and Artistic Director (’83-’05)

Michelle Dean, Community Leader

Richard C. Hunsaker, Board Emeritus President, Hunsaker Management

Evangelina Gonzalez, Parent Representative Community Leader Bryan Green, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Sharon Hartshorn, Community Leader

Virginia Hunsaker, Board Emerita Community Leader Yvonne M. Jordan, Board Emerita Community Leader

Socorro Vasquez, Damien M. Jordan,* Board Emerita General Manager, Retired, American Funds/Capital Group Community Leader Companies, Inc. Jeremy Krout, President/CEO, Environmental Planning Development Solutions, Inc.

*Executive Committee Members

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danceup THE WOODEN FLOOR PERFORMS

34TH ANNUAL CONCERT

JUNE 1-3, 2017 IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

An inspiring contemporary dance event

Experience the unexpected at this not-to-miss contemporary dance performance, featuring a dream team of the nation’s top artists, designers, and choreographers working in tandem with underserved youth. These young dancers consistently produce ground-breaking dance works that have drawn national accolades.

FREE PRE-PERFORMANCE CHAT & WINE RECEPTION

Friday, June 2 at 6:45pm

Arts Night Out! presented by

Tickets on sale now!

Reserve your tickets at www.TheWoodenFloor.org/ConnectedSpaces 10

The Wooden Floor

Supporter Sightings < WORKING REHEARSALS Guests enjoyed an intimate look into the nearly 100 hours of rehearsals behind our 34th Annual Concert. They witnessed the collaborative environment and dedication to a process that our students continue to mention as being one of their most transformative experiences during their 10-year journeys at The Wooden Floor. A Q&A session with the choreographers allowed guests to deepen their understanding of the dance-making and learning processes.

Supporter Spotlight

"My husband Bryan and I are blessed and humbled to be partnered with a beautiful, fun spirited child who works hard and provides a HUGE smile on her face every time we see her. Andrea’s smile and attitude is contagious and provides us with an uplifting warmth that helps us put life into perspective. We are eager to watch her grow and develop and hope she understands we are in her corner to provide her with guidance and support."

–Adele Green, Dance Partner STUDENT ANDREA WITH DANCE PARTNER ADELE GREEN

To learn about more ways to get involved, please contact Keegan Bell at 714.541.8314 ext. 140 or Keegan@TheWoodenFloor.org.

Upcoming Event

™

Thursday, September 14, 2017 Big Canyon Country Club Newport Beach, CA Enjoy some of the highest rated wines from around the world to raise funds to transform the lives of under-served youth through the power of dance and access to higher education. Please join us in keeping the promise we make to each of our students—from here, you can step anywhere.

Sponsorship and ticket information available at www.TheWoodenFloor.org/WineTasting.

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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT US POSTAGE

PAID

1810 North Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92706-2727 714.541.8314 www.TheWoodenFloor.org

SANTA ANA, CA PERMIT NO. 949

Come join us!

June 1-3, 2017

34th Annual Concert: Connected spaces

Tickets on sale now at www.TheWoodenFloor.org/ConnectedSpaces.

June 2, 2017

Make it an Arts Night Out! presented by 89.3 KPCC

Explore the work in Connected spaces with the cast and choreographers at a free pre-concert chat followed by complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine.

Please respond by May 31 to Jessica@TheWoodenFloor.org.

September 14, 2017

11th Annual Keep the Promise Wine Tasting Benefit™

Sample the world's most exquisite wines. Proceeds help us keep the promise to each of our underserved students: from here, you can step anywhere.

Sponsorship and ticket information available at www.TheWoodenFloor.org/WineTasting.

Photography by Christine Cotter and Edie Layland ©2017 The Wooden Floor. DanceUp is a trademark of The Wooden Floor.

Be inspired by our young artists as they perform new works created with leading contemporary dance choreographers.