Pacific Ballroom Dance (PBD) performs “Coming Home,” a holiday concert at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 at the Auburn Performing Arts Center, 702 Fourth St. NE.
One-hundred-and-fifty dancers, ages 3 to 19, will perform varieties of ballroom and Latin dance. Guest performers include aerialists Due Reves and Amateur Championship American Smooth competitors Adam Lee and Rachel Ma.
The concert theme personifies the great human desire for community and connection. PBD Artistic Director Katie Mecham said she chose the theme as she reflected on her deepest desires surrounding the holiday season.
“I thought about my need to simplify and return to what is really important in life – love, validation, companionship – things often found at home with the people we cherish,” Mecham said. “Music and dance provide a great way to experience and express this idea.”
At the Friday night performance, PBD students will be awarded scholarships for the 2019-20 season. Fifteen merit-based scholarships are awarded to students who show dedication to the art and craft of ballroom dance, who compete with an individual partnership and practice for many hours a week outside of their team time. Four students will be awarded the Remer Family Joy of Dance scholarship for enthusiasm and onstage exuberance.
“The kind of kids who just make you smile watching them because they are having so much fun. The ones that light up the stage, even if they aren’t the most technically skilled,” said donor David Remer.
One student will be awarded the Mitchell Parker Scholarship to cover the cost of the March trip to the National Ballroom DanceSport competition in March.
PBD began in 1994 as a small, local youth club with a goal to provide young teens with the opportunity to build respectful social skills, self-esteem, fitness and teamwork. In 2003, PBD became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to build character in youth by providing a positive ballroom dance experience. Today, PBD is a thriving youth dance education studio based in Auburn, serving more than 1000 students annually from age 10-18 from throughout the Puget Sound area.
To order tickets or to learn more, visit pacificballroom.org.
