Alegria Dance & Performing Arts Center will premiere its first annual dance festival this Sunday April 5th at the Lone Star Center for the Performing Arts Center and will feature more than sixty artists performing Flamenco, Belly Dance, Street Jazz, Ballet, and Salsa!

Two performances will be offered, a 2:00 performance will feature the child artists of Alegria exclusively with a follow-up evening performance at 6:30pm. For ticket prices and more information call 713.681.6201.

Diverseworks presents The Convenient Woman April 3-4th and April 10-11th. Houston choreographers Teresa Chapman and Leslie Scates with video and set designer Frederique deMontblanc create a dance-theatre performance that takes a personal look at feminine ideals and the current culture of dissatisfaction. Working macro to micro, Chapman and Scates have developed this text-based choreography inspired by a variety of obsessive behaviors from codependency to on-line shopping.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Diverseworks.

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater. The much-anticipated Houston premiere of Walsh's Mozart trilogy featuring Wolfgang for Webb performed by Sarasota Ballet of Florida, Amadeus for Anita performed by DWDT, and Mozart performed by both companies.

April 30-May 2, 2009 at 7:30 PM Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Zilkha Hall, 800 Bagby. For tickets or more information visit Dominic Walsh Dance Theater.

Shooting Stars Summer Dance Camp is our newest offering of fun, enriching programs to aspiring dancers ages 8-11. It will be July 20 - 31st, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex. The students will perform the pieces they learn in concert at Barnevelder at the end of camp. Visit our website for a detailed list of courses and programming.

Shooting Stars will feature the outstanding teachers from our Young & Intense Summer Dance Camp for ages 12 - 17, yet instruction and counseling will be tailored to the younger age group. We are able to keep the cost very low ($5/hr) during these difficult times thanks to our generous donors and public funders.

Students at Rice University, Houston Community College and the University of Houston have been hard at work all year gearing up to bring you their annual showcases. Don't miss this opportunity to see Houston's talented, bright and upcoming stars!

April 17th, Rice University presents Retrospection, it's 30th Annual Dance Theater Spring Concert with choreographers Jennifer Wood, Chris Lidval, and Leslie Scates. For more information, call 713-348-5773. Also on the 17th Houston Community College Central Dance presents Shape of the Future, an annual concert celebrating the works of emerging choreographers, featuring features new works by Pilobolus performer (and Central alum) Jenny Mendez, and Vincent James. The program also includes guests from the Shanghai Dance Company and new works by Julie Wood and Cynthia Cupach. Deborah Quanaim will premier a new piece, Notes from Houston, set to the music of Mary Carol Warwick and poetry of Alan Ainsworth. For more information, call 713-718-6570. On April 24th, The University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance presents it's annual Faculty Dance Concert with works by faculty and guest artists. For more information, call 713-743-2929.

The annual Pink Ribbon Project is when Houstonians gather together to support fight against breast cancer by putting on their best pink dresses, ties, and suites, and head to Wortham Theatre. The Project has grown steadily since 1995, and now has no problem with packing the Brown Theatre on a Thursday night. This year the program show cased performances by Houston Ballet, Da Camera of Houston, SPA, Houston Grand Opera, Alley Theatre, Stages Repertory Theatre, Inprint, and Houston Symphony. The program definitely had something for every one, but the highlight of the show was the beautifully choreographed duet by Alvin Ailey. The fluidity of the piece was elegant, yet energetic and passionate.
The short program was complemented by a champagne salute in memory of the victims of breast cancer. Every flute glass was adorned by a pink ribbon, along with the name of a cancer victim. After a moment of silence, we all drank to the person whose name we have picked. It was very difficult not to be proud to be taking parts in such a ceremony.

Contributed by Kamran Mansoury. Photo by F. Carter Smith.