Point Park Welcomes 1,300 High School Dancers to Downtown Pittsburgh for NHSDF, March 3-6 Monday, February 29, 2016
More than 1,300 high school dance students, chaperones and guest instructors from across the country and around the world will converge on Point Park's campus and Downtown Pittsburgh March 3-6 for the 2016 National High School Dance Festival.
"This is an important opportunity for the Conservatory of Performing Arts to recruit high-level young dancers from around the world, while showcasing the extraordinary opportunities and facilities available at Point Park," said Ruben Graciani, chair of dance. "We want the prospective students to fall in love with everything Point Park and Pittsburgh have to offer."
Festival highlights include:
- More than 200 classes led by guest artists and choreographers in Point Park's state-of-the-art dance facilities and at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School, located within walking distance to campus.
- A master class led by Parsons Dance from New York City.
- A chance to audition for scholarships from 65 of the most prestigious dance schools in the country.
- A welcome reception and closing awards ceremony at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown.
- Six concerts at the Byham Theater and Point Park's George Rowland White Performance Center.
Watch for continuing coverage of NHSDF on PointPark.edu, as well as updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Share your NHSDF experience on social media using #NHSDF2016.
"This event is just the latest indication of the great respect held for our Conservatory of Performing Arts," said Paul Hennigan, president of Point Park. "While we are thrilled and excited with the opportunity, we also are pleased with the economic opportunity it brings to Pittsburgh."
This is the first time in its 27-year history that the festival has been held in Pittsburgh. Kathryn Kearns, Ed.D., the event's founder, executive director and festival co-coordinator, said Point Park ultimately had a lot to offer.
"The facilities are just state-of-the art, and to have Point Park's dance faculty on board, who were really interested in doing it, made it very appealing," Kearns said. "Having the studios and Pittsburgh's Downtown theaters so close to one another helps make it safer for the kids and easier to coordinate. It just seemed like this would be a wonderful place to do it."