National Dance Day Ends with Blowout Dizzy Feet Gala in L.A

July 27, 2013

Gala Accomplishment #1

Nigel Lythgoe has made dance glamorous. On Saturday night, the second annual Dizzy Feet gala attracted stars like Anna Kendrick, Jane Lynch, and Shirley MacLaine to at the L.A. Music Center. Hosts and presenters included Paula Abdul, Katie Holmes, and Adam Shankman (the last two are co-founders of Dizzy Feet).

Accomplishment #2

Nigel has created a whole subculture of So You Think You Can Dance dancers and alumni. His TV brainchild regularly invites the most successful participants back to dance on the show as all-stars. On Saturday, tWitch, Alex Wong, Sasha Mallory, and Melanie Moore performed, and Travis Wall choreographed.

Accomplishment #3

Like the usual SYTYCD episode, the gala showed commercial dance and concert dance on the same stage. According to a report posted by Yahoo Music, Season 9 winner Chehon Wespi-Tschopp performed a piece by Twyla Tharp with his dancing partner Marcia Moreno. (Our guest blog about his last night on the Tharp tour is here.) The brazen Ballet Boyz (a “25 to Watch”) performed, as well as Desmond Richardson and dancers from San Francisco Ballet, Philadanco, and the Los Angeles Ballet.

Accomplishment #4

Dizzy Feet honors great dancers of the past. This year they gave awards to Chita Rivera and Arthur Mitchell. Let those energetic kids know what lifelong dance giants look like.

Accomplishment #5

A touch of humor. I would love to have seen Wayne Brady’s hip-hop routine.

Accomplishment #7

The best part: The Dizzy Feet Foundation raised $500,000 to go toward dance education in underserved areas.