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East Village Dance Project The East Village Dance Project (EVDP), based in New York City, was founded in 1997 as a dance development program for students from age 4-18, under the artistic direction of Martha Tornay. The program began with a vision and a handful of talented and young dancers. As EVDP goes into its 12th season, the program has grown to more than 60 young students per year, 90% of whom come from the East Village neighborhood. Many students participate in the pre-professional program, attending more than 4 classes per week, and some, dancing with Martha for most of their lives, are moving into professional New York dance schools such as La Guardia High, Ballet Tech, The Ailey School, Professional Performing Arts High School and School of American Ballet. From September through June EVDP offers classes in modern, ballet, pointe, improvisation and beginning choreography. EVDP students have the opportunity to perform each spring at such venues as Pace University, NYU Skirball Center, Abrons Arts Center and La MaMa ETC. They have also performed with Kids Café Festival, Vanaver Caravan Dance Festival, Keigwin + Company, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors 2007, and with Project IN Motion at Purdue University in Indiana 2009. An end of year concert and other performing opportunities are a vital element of the students dance education, allowing them to explore musicality, become familiar with a professional theater, and develop a passion for performing choreography. In the 2008 concerts, students performed choreography by Martha Tornay and Nicole Wolcott, as well as their own. All EVDP programs are inclusive: no student is turned away due to lack of funds and tuition support is given from the Charlotte Ruby Cantor Fund, named for a student who tragically passed away at a young age. EVDP is a program of GOH Productions, a non-profit arts services organization based in New York that produces, creates and presents dance, music, theater and exchange projects worldwide. www.eastvillagedanceproject.com www.gohproductions.org East Village Dance Project is supported by American Harlequin Corporation, Attitude Ballet Barres, and private donations. Board of Directors: Randi Halpern, Karen Matsu-Greenberg, Bonnie Sue Stein. Interns are from Lower Manhattan Arts Academy. Martha Tornay, Artistic Director Martha Tornay is from Indiana, and is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and a recipient of the Fine Arts Award in dance technique and choreography. Martha has over 3 decades of intensive classical ballet studies with dance masters such as Mme. Gabriela Darvash, Gretchen Ward Warren and Robert Brassel. After performing for over 18 years as a soloist with regional and international ballet and modern companies including Newport News Ballet (Virginia), Israel Ballet (Tel Aviv), and The Robert Kovich Company (NYC), she founded East Village Dance Project.
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