For the third year in a row, Nashville Ballet will host National Dance Day on Saturday, July 27, by offering free sample classes and choreography provided by Fox hit reality show So You Think You Can Dance.

“Through dance, we have the power to express our feelings, tell a story, accomplish our fitness goals while having fun,” Nashville Ballet Executive Director Angie Adams said. “We want to offer as many opportunities as possible for the Nashville community to experience the transformative power of dance.”

Nashville Ballet’s National Dance Day will offer free classes in ballet and yoga for adults, ages 13 and over. New this year, they are also offering children’s classes: a Mommy & Me class (for children at least two years old); the brand new Boys Club class (for boys ages 3-5 years old only); and Creative Movement (for children at least three years old). This will allow parents to introduce their children to the art of dance and participate in their own adult classes. After the sample classes, all participants will have the opportunity to learn choreography provided by SYTYCD and perform as a group. The performance will be recorded and submitted to the SYTYCD website.

The following classes will be offered as part of National Dance Day at Nashville Ballet:
9–10 am    Adult Yoga
9:15–10 am    Mommy & Me
10–10:45 am    Boys Club or Girls Creative Movement or Adult Ballet
11 am–12 pm    SYTYCD Choreography

SYTYCD Executive Producer and Judge Nigel Lythgoe instituted National Dance Day in 2010 to encourage Americans to engage in the kind of fun physical activity they see profiled each week on the television show. Lythgoe’s initiatives to increase physical activity through dance and raise awareness for dance education across the country were recognized by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) in 2011.

National Dance Day classes at Nashville Ballet are free. Advanced registration is not required but is encouraged as space is limited. Participation will be offered on a first come, first served basis as space permits. Classes on National Dance Day are samples of regular classes offered with School of Nashville Ballet for the upcoming fall semester, which begins Monday, August 5. Enrollment for the fall semester is currently open. For a full schedule or to register for fall semester classes, visit the School of Nashville Ballet’s official website www.nashvilleballet.com/school