#GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities by supporting their favorite non-profit organizations. Last year, more than 30,000 organizations in 68 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. A local chapter of this movement #Oregoniansgive has also joined this cause. This year Northwest Dance Theatre is participating in #GivingTuesday, and we hope you choose us as one of the organizations worthy of your support this holiday season.
With the start of December, our dancers, artistic directors, and production team are busy preparing to perform A Nutcracker Tea for our audience members, but that’s not all; NWDT is dedicated 
to fulfilling its mission to make the arts accessible to all members of the community. As part of our annual outreach efforts, our dancers performed at Avamere Retirement Home facilities in King City, Sherwood, and Newberg this past Saturday. After each outreach performance, residents came up to our dancers and NWDT representatives with tears in their eyes as they recalled past memories of the Nutcracker. One resident expressed gratitude saying how much it meant to them that “these young people would put so much work and effort to come to share all this beauty with us.” The dancers will also perform our Nutcracker Tea Outreach program at the Tualatin Public Library on Sunday, December 6, 2015, at 2pm. These events are important for both our outreach audience members and the dancers, but we need your help to make future community performances possible.
After the winter holidays, the dancers will begin working in January to prepare for NWDT’s spring production of Peter and the Wolf and Other Works. In addition to Peter and the Wolf, an endearing story ballet that delights both young and adult audiences alike, we are honored to have obtained permission once again from the Dennis Spaight Choreography Trust to perform another one of the former Oregon Ballet Theatre artistic director’s incredible works. This year we will perform Spaight’s Rhapsody in Blue. The MAC dancers will also be joining us again as guest artists. Performances will be held April 16 and 17.
Please take a moment to support NWDT. Remember that every donation is important, regardless of size. Northwest Dance Theatre exists because of the generous support from individuals like you. Help us continue to give the gift of dance and make a difference in our community!