Special to The Leader

 

What’s Happening Orange County? and The Hub are excited to announce Lauren Froderman, winner of SYTYCD Season 7, is returning for the 4^th annual National Dance Day scheduled for July 29 at the Beaumont Civic Center.

“We are moving indoors,” said Penny LeLeux, organizer of the local event. “The last two years, the July heat has been brutal. Since we can’t change the day, we changed the location.”

It was originally planned to continue National Dance Day indoors in Orange, but due to a SNAFU with the original venue planned for this year, the event is moving to Beaumont at the Civic Center.

“This was a very difficult decision for me,” said LeLeux. “We started in Orange and I was looking to keep it in Orange.”

In looking for an alternate venue, the Orange County Expo Center wasn’t available, so the decision was made to move to Beaumont.

LeLeux said this event has clearly always had other hands on it from the start, so she took it as a sign it was time to move the event to a much larger venue. The goal has always been to draw dance enthusiasts from all around Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.

On the 4^th of July, word was received that Froderman, was excited to return for this year’s event.

“Lauren joined us last year and she is amazing,” said LeLeux. “Amazing not just in the way she dances, but also how she was with the kids. She is a terrific dance instructor. The kids loved her.”

Last year, besides leading the main event in the official National Dance Day choreography, Lauren also taught a couple of dance classes for area youngsters. About 35 students were kids that don’t have the opportunity under normal circumstances to take dance on a regular basis. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity…now it will be twice in a lifetime!

What’s Happening Orange County? jumped on the National Dance Day bandwagon in 2014 partnering with the city of Orange. Each year they have added more diverse dance groups, from all over the area. The goal has been to turn it into a regional event, because the closest Dance Day activities listed on the Dizzy Feet Foundation’s calendar are New Orleans, the Austin area and as of last year, Shreveport, Louisiana.

The main event, which is free and open to the public, has always been a mixture of dance performances, line dancing and the official National Dance Day choreography. The audience doesn’t just watch they get to dance, too.

“This has always been such a fun event,” said LeLeux. “We’ve had a 100 people in front of the stage doing the wobble when we had it at the Orange Riverfront Pavilion,” she said.

This year, the main event will be 9 a.m.-noon. Dance groups are varied from traditional disciplines and contemporary dance, to belly dancing and theater kids and Jazzercise. This year, even Hula will be added from a school in Lake Charles.

There will be a lunch break from noon-1:30 p.m.

Dance classes with Lauren will be available after lunch for $60 which also includes the meet and greet with Lauren later. The beginner class is 1:30-2:30 pm The advance class is 2:45-3:45 p.m. Cost of the class increases to $75 after July 23. Some scholarships are available for those not able to afford the class.

“Lauren at Sunset” is at 4-5:30 p.m. where she will tell her story, answer questions, demonstrate her dance skills and offer a photo opportunity. Tickets to “Lauren at Sunset” are only $25 till July 23 and increase to $35 after. Parents will only be allowed to observe the classes if they have a ticket to the meet and greet.

Tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster. For information, visit the ‘4^th annual National Dance Day in SETX’ Facebook event or check out details on octx.info.

For sponsorship information, email pgleleux@gmail.com.