Dancing for a Cause

Dance with Love Assists HIV/AIDS Awareness

By Miriam Star

In the heart of the south, Baton Rouge, Louisana, Dance with Love were involved in one of the most rewarding and exciting events they have been a part of, Behind the Mask.

The Manship Theatre was sold out, the lights enchanting, the dancing remarkable, and the food delicious. The event was part of the Dance Speaks series, raising awareness and funding for HIV and AIDS. The dancers feel it was a great experience and for a wonderful cause.

After watching and loving the performance, the mayor of Baton Rouge, Kip Holden, proclaimed dancers mayor for the day on October 2nd.

Dance with Love is the performance company of Dance with Us America, with Elena Bersten (co-owner of DWUA) acting as choreographer. They perform in shows and at events all over Minnesota and nationwide. In fact, in May they performed Behind the Mask at the Music Box Theatre, which you can read about in Libby Ryan's article "The World Onstage" in the July issue of Sheer Dance.

Each show features excellent performers, but the dancers and dances vary slightly from performance to performance, making each iteration unique. This time, the winner of So You Think You Can Dance, Fik-Shun, joined Dance with Love, and his animated hip-hop style was breathtaking. The other dancers included Caitlin Foster, Brooke Geyen, Jacob Borg, and, of course, Gene Bersten, co-owner of Dance with Us America.

Keep up with Dance with Us America on Facebook for more details and to find out the next time Behind the Mask will be performed in Minnesota.