Dance the day away with KDA for National Dance Day

Sep. 13—Get ready to dance, Bakersfield. Kern Dance Alliance returns with its National Dance Day on Saturday offering nine hours of movement for all ages.

Taking over Mechanics Bank Theater for the second year, the event will offer 42 classes in a variety of styles along with a vendor marketplace, a new cinema room with dance films and "dance breaks" for everyone to join.

Andrea Hansen, Kern Dance Alliance's executive director, said the new additions came from attendee feedback from last year.

"It was based upon 2022 event surveys and we thought, 'How could we add to the 2023 event?' So we got to work. We heard that they wanted classes for seniors. And people wanted the opportunity to dance on the lobby dance floor."

The lineup includes eight more classes than last year including Dancing Through the Decades. No experience is required for the "silver sneakers" (a term for dancers with more life experience) who want to enjoy the moves of the past.

Instructor Rachel Harless, whose favorite dance is the hustle, will move participants through history. (Although the class is geared toward seniors, it is open to all ages.)

Hansen said, "It will be dances from the '50s, '60s, '70s and so on: the mashed potato, the twist, YMCA — all of the super fun dances."

Making the event as inclusive as possible is a key goal for KDA, Hansen said.

"Part of our job as organizers is to look at what the instructors have applied to teach, then see what the community wants and try to fill in the voids.

"We go back to the instructors and ask if they'll teach something we need. Our dance community is so incredible. They (instructors) say, 'Just tell me what you need.'

"We have a really diverse spread for all ages, all levels and all abilities."

Classes cover a variety of styles including jazz, ballet, East Coast and West Coast swing, hip-hop, bachata, hula, line dancing, musical theater, Mexican folklorico, krump animation and fitness options like cardio dance and pom, Zumba and pilates.

There's also a class for dancers with physical or developmental disabilities. The ADAPTIdance: Dance + Disability class will be led by Romy Jones, who will serve as program coordinator for KDA's ADAPTidance: Dance + Disability program that launches its new session later this month.

For young dancers, there are a number of classes, including a Disney dance party with Sharida Rejon-Rodriguez, although Hansen warned that tickets go fast for these sessions.

Along with 30 Kern County dance instructors, classes will feature the talents of five celebrity dance artists: "So You Think You Can Dance" celebrities Alex Wong and Jim Nowakowski, Sean Aaron Carmen from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, who also performed in Disney's "The Lion King" on Broadway, hip-hop dance artist Max Pham and Dr. Suzanne Knosp, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona School of Dance.

Everyone in attendance can also take part in the dance breaks held in the lobby.

"We built a parquet floor in the middle of the lobby and a DJ is set up right in front of it to keep the party going."

The breaks include country two-step with Joshua Harless, a Books in Motion event on the Groovy Joe book "Ice Cream and Dinosaurs" with the McLaughlin Dance Collective, dance fitness with Andrew Jones and salsa with Veronica Hidalgo.

Two of the breaks will highlight grant recipients from the KDA Creative Corps.

One will help introduce the Demi Dance Project, led by Amber Patee Adams, which aims to offer programs for children ages 3-8 regardless of their family's socioeconomic status.

The last dance break of the day is with Dance Camera West, which will show attendees how to create dance films.

The dance film commission will also run a screening room all day, showing professionally made dance shorts for anyone who wants to pop in and watch.

Along with Mechanics Bank Grill, which will be serving food, adult beverages and playing the game, the lobby will also offer a vendor marketplace with a selection of retailers and organizations including the new local dancewear shop Performer's Closet.

The business is one of the contributors to the raffles that will be held on Saturday, offering gift cards and other dance-related items.

Hansen is looking forward to welcoming the community to the venue for a day of fun and movement.

"This is not just for dancers. Get out with your family at a reasonable cost and move your body in a healthy way.

"Please come enjoy the day."

Visit kerndance.org/DANCEDAY for the full list of classes and to purchase tickets.

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.