Sonia Plumb Dance Company to Dance in the Parks in August

August is a very special month for the Sonia Plumb Dance Company, offering free, family-friendly classes and performances across Hartford’s parks throughout the month.

The well-known dance company will participate in Hartford’s Dance in the Parks series, to be held at Elizabeth Park, Pope Park and Bushnell Park on consecutive Thursday evenings, August 15, 22 and 29.

Classes are designed for children age 7 and up, and will be held at 5:30 pm each day. Performances featuring the Sonia Plumb Dance Company (SPD) will begin directly afterwards, at 6:30. The performances will vary week-to-week, with some to be drawn from the Dance of da Vinci, which was performed at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in 2018.

The performances will include excerpts from signature Sonia Plumb Dance original choreography, including River, Elephants, Rituals and Reverence, and Artists' Studio, as well as engaging solo performances choreographed by SPD dancers and Apprentices. Performers and teachers include Megan Wochoski, Yoeliz Santana (Apprentice), Brian Syms (Apprentice), and Marieliena Quintanar.

Sonia Plumb Dance has earned a highly regarded reputation for the caliber of its Apprentice Training Program. Yoeliz Santana and Brian Syms, two of the participants in the Dance in the Parks series, spent their youth in Hartford and are graduates of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts - outstanding performers and teachers, who have come up through the ranks.

“Dance in the Parks highlights the magnificent work of both Yoeliz and Brian, bringing it right into their communities in Hartford, where they grew up,” said Sonia Plumb. “That is one of the strengths of our program – providing opportunities for talented young people to pursue their passion and develop a career. For those who might not otherwise been able to do so, if a college program was beyond reach, these opportunities are particularly significant and rewarding.”

“This program is important to me because without it I would not be dancing or receiving any dance training at all,” said Yoeliz Santana. “I am tremendously grateful for this program because it has allowed me to not only grow as a dancer/artist but as a person as well. Also, it has given me a chance to communicate and connect with many different people. I consider myself to be extremely lucky to be a part of this amazing program.”

Recognizing the need for shared resources - space, marketing and development, Sonia Plumb Dance has created the ImpaCT Dance Collective, which provides classes at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts throughout the summer. Working together creates more opportunities for dancers and choreographers. The mission is to create a healthy ecosystem for dance which supports and nourishes dancers and choreographers at all stages of their career by providing resources to do just that. The SPD vision: to become nationally and internationally recognized has an engine for dance. Details are available at www.soniaplumbdance.org.

The performances this summer are supported in part by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, Hartford Youth Jobs Grant - reflecting the expertise and track-record of Sonia Plumb Dance and its Apprentice Training

Program. The program is funded in part by West End Civic Association; donations to defray costs associated with the performances are gratefully accepted.

Sonia Plumb Dance Company (SPDC) was formed nearly 30 years ago with a mission "to enrich, educate, and connect diverse audiences through innovative modern dance.” SPDC serves diverse audiences statewide through live performances; K-12 arts education; community engagement events; collegiate and professional level classes; movement programs for children with autism, and dance apprenticeships for talented high school graduates lacking the socio-economic resources to attend college level dance programs.

For more information, visit www.SoniaPlumbDance.org.