Marble Valley Dance Collective (MVDC) hosts The Rutland Community Day of Dance for students and adults on November 22nd at the West Rutland Town Hall. The event is sponsored by the Vermont Community Foundation. The day will include two Master Classes as well as a Works In Progress Show that includes members of the collective.

MVDC is a vibrant and welcoming community providing quality dance technique and movement exploration classes across diverse styles for adults of all experience levels, while fostering the appreciation of dance through performances of member-created works.

The day starts off with a free Master Class for High School Students, taught by Millie Heckler and runs from 10 a.m. – noon. This class will explore House dance foundations. House is a style of dance that originated in the underground Black and gay clubs of Chicago and New York in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Its influences include Disco, Latin social dance, Hustle, African, jazz, tap, hip hop, breaking, Brazilian Capoeira and more. Students will learn foundational House rhythms and then build a sequence by combining these different rhythms. Students will dance with one another, exercising their social dancing skills. Expect intricate footwork matched with flow and ease, floorwork, sweat, and celebration.

The next free Master Class is for adults is entitled, “Tappin' the Blues Away,” and is taught by Lillian Pelkey. It runs from 1 – 3 p.m. Experience the power of rhythm and music-making through tap dance! In this master class, dancers will explore tap dance using classic jazz standards as our foundation, working in collaboration with a live pianist. Together, we’ll dive into musical forms in dance, improvisation, and how tap dancers embody both movement and musicianship on stage. The class will culminate in the creation of an original piece to be performed in the evening’s Works in Progress Show. Open to dancers of all levels, this class celebrates the intersection of dance and live music, inviting participants to step into rhythm, creativity, and collaboration.

The day concludes with a Works in Progress Show featuring local dancers and choreographers. Marble Valley Dance Collective will be showcasing new works choreographed by: Carissa Challinor, Margaret Francoeur-Dunne, Millie Heckler, Candy Jones, Em Marinelli, Lillian Pelkey, Alex Welych-Miller, Susan Wood, and Maya Zelkin. This program starts at 7 p.m. This part of the day is $10 General Admission at the door: Cash, Check, or Venmo.

For more information, visit: https://marblevalleydancecollectivevt.weebly.com/events.html, or call (802) 438-3154.