Online with Facebook LIVE https://fb.me/e/1cN4WM8mc

Kansas City Ballet presents Spring Dance Speaks: New Voices, New Moves is a part of Kansas City Ballet’s commitment to engage the community-at-large with a unique educational series.

New Moves choreographers and cinematographers with KCB Artistic Director Devon Carney share the impetus and creative process in rehearsing and filming works in various Kansas City community spaces for presentation.

Moderated by Artistic Director Devon Carney.

CHOREOGRAPHERS:
Yury Yanowsky, Ben Needham-Wood, Price Suddarth, Christopher Costantini, Cameron Thomas and Emily Mistretta.

CINEMATOGRAPHERS:
Chris Burrow and Cody Boston.

Stories of Resiliency
Facebook Live at facebook.com/kcballet

Black Dancers in American Ballet in KC share their journeys on navigating dance careers in the American Ballet World on April 23.

Four professional black dancers living and working in Kansas City share their journeys on navigating dance careers in the American Ballet World.

Moderated by Allan S. Gray II, a respected Kansas City business professional and community leader, each panelist will impart their unique dance experiences, perspectives on diversity, inclusion and equity in ballet and respond to questions from the community sent in advance of the panel, as well as during the panel.

Panelists

• April Berry, Former apprentice and ballerina with ballet companies in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., current Director of Community Engagement and Education at Kansas City Ballet and Kansas City Ballet School faculty member.
• Karen Brown, Former ballerina with Dance Theatre of Harlem, current Assistant Professor of Dance at University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory.
• Josh Bodden, former danseur with Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Cincinnati Ballet, current danseur with Kansas City Ballet and Kansas City Ballet School faculty member.
• Whitney Huell, Former ballerina with Ballet West, current ballerina with Kansas City Ballet and Kansas City Ballet School faculty member.

Stories of Resiliency
Facebook Live at facebook.com/kcballet

Black Dancers in American Ballet in KC share their journeys on navigating dance careers in the American Ballet World on April 23 at 6:30 PM CDT. 

Four professional black dancers living and working in Kansas City share their journeys on navigating dance careers in the American Ballet World.

Moderated by Allan S. Gray II, a respected Kansas City business professional and community leader, each panelist will impart their unique dance experiences, perspectives on diversity, inclusion and equity in ballet and respond to questions from the community sent in advance of the panel, as well as during the panel.

Panelists

• April Berry, Former apprentice and ballerina with ballet companies in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., current Director of Community Engagement and Education at Kansas City Ballet and Kansas City Ballet School faculty member.
• Karen Brown, Former ballerina with Dance Theatre of Harlem, current Assistant Professor of Dance at University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory.
• Josh Bodden, former danseur with Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Cincinnati Ballet, current danseur with Kansas City Ballet and Kansas City Ballet School faculty member.
• Whitney Huell, Former ballerina with Ballet West, current ballerina with Kansas City Ballet and Kansas City Ballet School faculty member.

Join us for our final virtual concert of the 2020 Season on Sunday, April 18 at 2 p.m. Streaming on Facebook and yskc.org.

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1
Georges Bizet (1838 – 1875)
Overture
Minuet
Farandole

ACADEMY ORCHESTRA
Aboriginal Rituals
Elliot Del Borgo (1938 – 2013)

Glorioso
Robert W. Smith (b. 1958)

WHY: 

The conversation around brain injury – whether among physicians, families, communities, or society as a whole – is often limiting. The Who Is Carter Foundation is creating a new conversation: one of empowerment & possibility. We intend that this, in turn, will inspire a shift in treatment & other resources & options available to an expanding number of families of children living with brain injury & other brain conditions.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: 

Laird Murfey

Laird Murfey is a remarkable boy: he’s a writer, musician, athlete, and cook – despite the fact that Cerebral Palsy prevents him from walking or speaking without assistance.

Laird gets around the way you might expect: In a wheelchair. But Laird also gets around on skis. And on a surfboard. And at age ten, he recently took his first steps unassisted.

Laird is a kid on a mission: “My mission is to help people understand what it is like living with a disability. Personally, I love being in a wheelchair and having a disability. This is the life I was given and it’s an amazing one. I am here to help people living without disabilities understand how similar we are to them and people living with disabilities to realize how capable they are.”

Laird is unable to speak using his voice, but he makes himself heard by using a Tobii device: a computer that uses eye gaze technology to track his eye movements, so he can compose sentences, stories, and even songs.

Laird’s compositions — and his clever Halloween costume design — have even caught the attention of musician Adam Levine.

Who Is Carter is honored to announce that Laird will be the keynote speaker at the Third Annual Who Is Carter Gala. You won’t want to miss hearing from this remarkable boy who doesn’t let limitations keep him from inspiring everyone he meets!

AUCTION

Interested in donating an item or experience to the Gala? Contact Allison Murray with your ideas! allison@whoiscarter.org

ACCOMMODATIONS

Hotel Indigo Crossroads | $99 Special Room Rate for Gala Attendees
As an esteemed guest of the Who Is Carter Foundation, you are entitled to a SPECIAL $99 room rate at Hotel Indigo Crossroads
Located at: 2020 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108

Click here to reserve your room, or call 816.285.1100 and use the reservation code WHO

Questions? Maria Marsala, Sales Manager | Sales@indigokc.com

SEEKING GALA PARTNERS

A Gala Partner contributes to the success of the annual Who is Carter Foundation Gala on many fronts: through leveraging volunteer hours, strategic relationships, financial support, and living out a corporate culture of generosity as they work behind the scenes to make Gala day inspiring and impactful.

We can’t pull off an event of this scale without this crucial support; we are so grateful to our Second Annual Who Is Carter Gala Partners: NorthPoint Development, KH Properties, Abbott Properties, and Abbott Events for the countless contributions they made in 2019.

Is your company or organization interested in being a Third Annual Gala Partner? Send an email to info@whoiscarter.org to start the conversation.

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To purchase tickets to attend in person or online, or to become a Corporate Sponsor, visit thirdannualgala.causevox.com.