Dizzy Feet Foundation

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Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 2 (August 2010).

Dizzy Feet Foundation
By Katrina (AppleTini)

Less than a year ago, So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe shocked viewers around the world with an exciting piece of news: an organization co-founded by Lythgoe, producer Adam Shankman, judge of Dancing With the Stars, Carrie Ann Inaba, and actress Katie Holmes. This organization, of course, was not just randomly announced on So You Think You Can Dance for no reason. Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) was founded to promote quality dance education and awareness around the United States, but will hopefully soon expand to do the same across the world. In a few more words, the organization has a mission with three main points:

"(1) to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited dance schools, studios, or institutions; (2) to establish national standards for dance education and an accreditation program for dance schools in all of the major styles of dance; and (3) to develop, provide, and/or support dance education programs for disadvantaged children through and with local community organizations."

DFF hopes to set a base line for dance education around America in terms of becoming an "accredited" academy or school of dance. Likewise, they hope to ensure that children everywhere are getting quality, accredited dance instruction from thousands of teachers across the nation. DFF is a non-profit organization, truly hoping to touch real people, real children, and not just reach statistics and set new records.

In order to run an organization so focused on dance, the founders set up a Steering Committee and an Honorary Steering Committee, both made up of some of the most well-known individuals in the dance industry, all of whom have a heart for dancing and for the mission behind Dizzy Feet.

In addition to hosting galas, scholarship auditions, and many other events in support of DFF, Nigel Lythgoe has announced National Dance Day, which just happened on July 31st. For this day, Napoleon and Tabitha D'Uma, two amazing hip hop dancers, choreographed a "national dance" for all to do on this day in celebration of the world of dance. For more information about National Dance Day and Dizzy Feet Foundation and upcoming events, please visit www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org.