The FDA Senior Dance Company, from Freestyle Dance Academy in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, once again had the honor and privilege to perform in the 2021 Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival. The annual dance festival, traditionally held at the Mandell Theater on the campus of Drexel University, hosts youth dance companies from all over the country. The Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival was organized to showcase some of the best dance talent from all over, with dancers between the ages of 13 and 18 years old, and places them all on stage together in downtown Philadelphia. This year, like so many other things, the PYDF festival had to adjust to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The show was held at the Abington Arts Center, located outside of Philadelphia. An outdoor stage was prepared, and all the dancers were asked to mask up, and perform to the crowd. The FDA Sr. Company worked all winter to prepare a performance for festival, combining performance quality, technique from multiple dance styles and staging that excited & entertained the audience. The performance piece, titled “Top of the Charts,” incorporated music and dance vocabulary from various points in time, to pay tribute to music & pop culture. Dance styles included hip-hop, house dance, jazz and more. The music utilized by the FDA Company also spanned the spectrum from “Can’t Buy Me Love” by Beatles, to “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC, to “Nonstop” by Drake.
The festival also included both virtual & in-person dance workshops for all the performing dancers, as one of the pillars of their organization is continued dance education for youth dancers. The Philadelphia Youth Festival had dance teachers from around the globe teaching styles such as Latin, Contemporary, Injury Prevention & Alignment, House, Composition and more. Festival teachers credits include highlights such as: BalletX, Philadanco, Koresh Dance, Pennsylvania Ballet, DUMBO, Fringe and more. Dancers had the opportunity to learn from and build relationships with some of the most influential dancers in the city of Philadelphia. The 2021 Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival performing dancers from Freestyle Dance Academy: Jordan B., Anelle D., Olivia G., Mia J and Jordan M. Choreography by FDA dance teachers Tony Azzaro, Colleen Dougherty & Ali Potye.
See more photos from the Philadelphia Youth Dance Fest online and on social media! Freestyle Dance Academy is routinely voted among the Best of Bucks County for Dance in 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018. Dance classes are offered in various dance styles including: hip-hop, jazz, breaking (“breakdancing”), musical theatre, lyrical/contemporary, tap, and more. FDA provides high-quality dance education, with professional dance staff, to the Warrington, Chalfont & Doylestown communities. Freestyle Dance Academy is a place for both the recreational, and serious pre-professional dancer, offering different class tracks & opportunities to students, based upon their personal interest in dance.
Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival
