I hosted a unique Raise The Barre workshop and filmed it with Zandolee Media in celebration of National Dance Day!
Did you know that National Dance Day was founded in 2010 by the Dizzy Feet Foundation?
It's an annual celebration dedicated to dance, that encourages Americans of all ages to incorporate dance into their lives. By creating a focused day of celebration, this day aims to educate the public about dance and its many benefits, as well as make dance accessible and inclusive to everyone! This mission coincides perfectly with Raise The Barre.
I am impacting our youth by touring the state of Minnesota, teaching Raise The Barre dance and improvisation-based workshops as well as mentoring the students I meet! Not only do I teach my regular RTB workshops at schools, disability centers, and after school enrichment programs, but I also host special events for RTB. I produce RTB benefit concerts, take my students to perform at local nursing homes, and fun events like this one for National Dance Day!
Back in April, I hosted my first workshop with Advocates for Developmental Disabilities with my good friend, Mikayla Holmgren for International Dance Day. We have the best time dancing together, and she inspires the children tremendously! She was the first woman with Down syndrome to compete for a Miss USA pageant. Naturally, I wanted to do something really special for National Dance Day in July, so I called Mikayla.
I collaborated with Zandolee Media and The Bar Method to create a video with Raise The Barre Students in the Twin Cities. The Dizzy Feet Foundation provides the official choreography each year, and this year was choreographed by Mandy Moore! I love partnering with incredibly creative people to further the reach of my nonprofit and inspire others. We all loved dancing to this fun and upbeat choreography, to the song "Dancing" by Kylie Minogue. Check out my National Dance Day video below!
If you'd like to learn more about my social impact, Raise The Barre go to https://www.michaelenekarlen.com/Raise-the-Barre
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