NATIONAL DANCE DAY ON SATURDAY, JULY 31 TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH OFFICIAL ACT OF CONGRESS
Grassroots Movement Created by SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Co-Creator and Judge Nigel Lythgoe
Inaugural Event to Include Flash Mobs on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and at the Performance Arts Center in Los Angeles; Other Events to Take Place Nationwide
National Dance Day, a grassroots movement taking place on Saturday, July 31 that encourages the people of this nation to get up and move, is being recognized with an official act of Congress. Created by Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer and co-creator of the hit FOX series SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and founder of the Dizzy Feet Foundation, the aim of National Dance Day is to promote health and self-esteem through the art form of dance.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airs Wednesdays (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) and Thursdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, will introduce a National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on Saturday, July 31 in Washington, D.C., to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S.
In January, Congresswoman Norton introduced the Lifelong Improvements in Food and Exercise (LIFE) Act to promote exercise and diet changes. Norton’s LIFE bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be a lead agency in combating obesity and sedentary lifestyles.
“More than 30 percent of Americans are obese, and childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years,” said Norton. “Television shows such as SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE are not only entertaining but are also encouraging people to live a physically active lifestyle. Holding a National Dance Day in the nation’s capital is a terrific way to promote fitness and fight obesity.”
Additionally, Congresswoman Norton will host her own National Dance Day flash mob on the National Mall (between 3rd St & 4th St SW) from 1:00-5:00 PM featuring local dance enthusiasts, representatives from dance schools and organizations and former SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE finalists.
“National Dance Day does not ‘belong’ to any single corporation, television show or charity,” said Lythgoe. “It belongs to the people. It will be up to the individuals, corporations and charities of this country to come up with ways to take part – wherever they may be and whatever their motivation: whether it’s to lose weight, raise money for a nonprofit or just have fun. It is my hope that countless exciting dance ideas will come to fruition on National Dance Day, like the world’s longest conga line in Miami or the world’s longest kick line in front of Radio City Music Hall or scores of breakdancers taking over the Venice boardwalk. The sky is the limit.”
The Dizzy Feet Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization co-founded in 2009 by Lythgoe, fellow SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE judge and film director/producer Adam Shankman, “Dancing With The Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba and actress Katie Holmes, whose mission is to elevate and standardize the quality of dance education throughout the U.S. The foundation’s contribution to the day is a viral video that includes instructional choreography by Emmy-nominated SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo. Click here to watch the video.
Dizzy Feet will host a flash mob at the Music Center at the Performance Arts Center of Los Angeles County (135 N. Grand Avenue) from 10:00 AM-Noon. All are encouraged to attend and participate. Celebrity attendance includes members of the Dizzy Feet board, choreographers and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE finalists.
Some of the organized events taking place nationwide include the following:
City Event/Time Venue/Time
Chicago, IL Summer Dance Event Grant Park
6:00-9:30 PM 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
Philadelphia, PA WDAS-FM Temptations Banquet Facility
Family Fun Dance Day 218-220 W. Chelten Ave.
11:30 AM-1:00 PM Philadelphia, PA 19144
The Rock School Event The Rock School
9:00 AM-2:30 PM for Dance Education
1101 South Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Dallas, TX KDFW and KISS FM Six Flags Over Texas
Dance Party 2201 Road to Six Flags
4:00 PM Arlington, TX 76010
Boston, MA KISS-FM The Launch at Hingham Shipyard
Family Fun Dance Day 25 Shipyard Dr.
11:30 AM-2:00 PM Hingham, MA 02043
Atlanta, GA WAGA and The Atlantic Station Atlantic Station’s Central Park
Dance Expo 245 18th St.
1:00-6:00 PM Atlanta, GA 30312
Phoenix, AZ 101.5 JamZ US Airways Center Courtyard
Lady Gaga Dance-Off 201 East Jefferson St.
5:00-6:00 PM Phoenix, AZ 85004
Tampa, FL All-Day Dance Celebration Arthur Murray Palm Harbor/ 34930 US Highway 19
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Sacramento, CA KTXL and KBMB-FM Tre Nightclub
Dance Party/Concert 1212 Howe Ave.
5:00-7:00 PM Sacramento, CA 95825
Nashville, TN Miss Amy’s Competitive Edge Miss Amy’s Competitive Edge Dance/Wellness Expo Dance Studio 209 Henslee Dr.
9:00 AM-3:00 PM Dickson, TN 37055
Salt Lake City, UT National Dance Day Event UVU Campus
4:00-10:00 PM McKay Events Center
800 W. University Pkwy.
Orem, UT 84058
Additional NATIONAL DANCE DAY celebrations include events in San Diego, CA; Birmingham, AL; and Orange, NJ. To find out if your hometown is hosting an event, log on to www.fox.com/dance for more information. Viewers are encouraged to submit their ideas and plans for NATIONAL DANCE DAY at www.fox.com/dance. Each week on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Lythgoe will spotlight the most dynamic videos of how people nationwide plan to celebrate the day.
Nigel Lythgoe is co-founder of Big Red 2 Entertainment, a newly formed company with CEO of 19 Entertainment, Simon Fuller. Lythgoe most recently served as president of 19 Television, and prior to his tenure there, worked at London Weekend Television, where he was Controller of Entertainment and Comedy. Lythgoe is co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning series SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. His other executive producer/co-creator credits include seven seasons of AMERICAN IDOL, as well as “Superstars of Dance.” AMERICAN IDOL has been nominated for 49 Emmy Awards, and in 2007, received the prestigious Governors Award, the Television Academy’s highest honor, for IDOL GIVES BACK, which he executive-produced. Lythgoe also served as producer and director of the acclaimed Céline Dion/Elvis Presley duet featured in the special.