The Southwest Washington Dance Center will host the 32nd annual Dance Festival Northwest on Saturday, March 21, at 7:00 PM. Dance Festival Northwest brings dance companies from around the Pacific Northwest to the Centralia/Chehalis area. The dancers attend Master Dance Classes together as a group and then each individual company performs dance pieces that they have prepared, at a fabulous performance at Corbet Theatre in Centralia. This year you will see very diverse forms of dance performed; from contemporary and classical ballet on pointe, modern/contemporary dance, jazz, ballroom and Hip Hop.
The host company, under the direction of Hollie McGovern, is Southwest Washington Dance Ensemble from Chehalis, WA. For over 43 years, Southwest Washington Dance Ensemble has given the gift of dance to the Lewis County area. The Dance Ensemble has performed for audiences at the Lewis County Community Concerts, Miss Lewis County Pageant, The Nutcracker Ballet, Northwest Wind Symphony and the Merce Cunningham Tribute. They have also danced at Dancepalooza in Seattle, Dance to Make a Difference Charity Gala, and Olympia Dance Festival. The Ensemble also tours, every spring, with a production for Elementary Schools in greater Lewis County and South Thurston County.
Visiting companies this year include:
- Ballet Northwest, Olympia
- Centralia Ballet Academy, Centralia
- Evergreen City Ballet, Renton
- Johansen Olympia Ballet Center, Olympia
- Olympic Ballroom Dance, Olympia
- Port Townsend Ballet, Port Townsend
- Seattle Civic Dance Theatre, Seattle
- Studio West Dance Theatre, Olympia
- Studio West Dance Academy, Olympia
- Trinity Dance Prosser, Prosser
- Vashon Dance Company, Vashon Island
- Host Company, Southwest Washington Dance Ensemble, Chehalis
Tickets are available at online or in person at Southwest Washington Dance Center at 437 N. Market Blvd. in downtown Chehalis.