Last month on November 21st, Dance Houston, Fresh Arts Coalition and Discovery Green partnered together to present Home Grown Motion: A Gathering of Local Dancers in the Park. Twenty dance companies and over 100 dancers performed for an audience of 400 people in Houston's thus far chilliest cold snap of the year.

Old favorites Wyld Styl, Revolve, FLY Dance, Sabor Mexico and Exclamation Dance Company (pictured) dazzled the audience with some truly diverse and moving pieces. Newcomers Above All House of Dance had over 20 dancers of all ages, some as young as 3 years old! Freneticore's Rebekah French brought a quirkiness to the festival with a piece based on the beloved children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. Mike Baerga, of Urban Souls Dance Company and Planet Funk, with partner, Jessica Salvato performed a beautiful duet about the power of control and Cookie Joe brought us "Sneaker Night", a poppy street jazz piece. All girl hip-hop group, Xtreme Productions performed an upbeat, energetic skit about dolls coming to life and taking over the stage!

Even though it was under forty-degrees, the audience and performers alike had a wonderful time celebrating all the diverse, exciting dance companies Houston has to offer! For more information on the performers or to catch a peek at the show, check out the video on our blog !

Free Dance Workshop Series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Learn the latest dance moves from Dance Houston's top dancers while enriching your understanding of the human body. These free workshops teach the basics of latin and hip hop dancing as well as the science of dancing including anatomy, physiology, and physics. This fun experience is a great way to liven up your visit to the world-famous Body Worlds 2 exhibit.

Saturday, December 20 - 11:00am - 12:30pm
Urban Landscapes
Hip Hop to Contemporary Jazz
Whether you've never tried hip hop or you'd like a refresher, this class offers the latest in hip hop styles. As seen on popular television shows, hip hop is a widely expressive form of dance embodying youth culture. From old school moves to the latest in popping and krumping, hip hop is a fun way to connect to the hit music of today and to each other. Learn the latest in Urban Landscapes. Led by Mike Baerga of Urban Souls Dance Company, Planet Funk, and independent artist from in Home Grown Motion.

Thursday, December 4th at 6:30pm The Museum of Fine Arts presents a special screening of A Touring Taste of Dance Salad Festival at the Brown Auditorium Theater. Houston´s premier international dance festival, the annual Dance Salad Festival showcases renowned performers of modern, contemporary, and classical dance in a program that offers a magnificent fusion of styles and music, a sampling of the most renowned dance companies in the world.

Don´t miss this unique opportunity to re-live highlights of choreographic masterpieces featured in the Dance Salad Festival by leading European and Asian dancers including Národní divadlo, the National Theatre Ballet, Prague (Czech Republic); Paradox On (the Netherlands); the National Ballet of Canada (Toronto, Canada); Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company (China); Hamburg Ballet (Germany); Staatsballett Berlin (Germany); Teatr Wielki-Polish National Opera (Warsaw, Poland); Makoto Matsushima (Tokyo, Japan) and Jacoby&Pronk (New York/Amsterdam).

Following the screening, Dance Salad Festival Artistic Director, Nancy Henderek will discuss the performances with the audience. Admission is free and open to the public and a reception will follow the seminar.

Ad Deum Dance Company returns from their Malaysia tour and will be performing a special performance entitled, No More Dry Bones December 5th at Houston Community College's Town and Country NW Campus at 8:15pm

Tickets are $15 at the door, and children under the age of 12 are $10. With special guests: Ad Deum II Trainees.

You'll have another opportunity to experience this amazing group, December 14th at 10 am at Focus Church - Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center. Admission is free, though donations are welcome.