Tuesday, March 06, 2012

C  I  T  Y    O  F    A  T  L  A  N  T  A

ATLANTA CITY COUNCIL HONORS EXCEPTIONAL ATLANTA NONPROFIT

The Atlanta City Council Issues Proclamation Declaring Monday, February 20, 2012 ‘Moving in the Spirit Day’

ATLANTA – The Atlanta City Council will issue a proclamation to nonprofit Moving in the Spirit on Monday, February 20, 2012, in honor of the organization’s 25 years of outstanding service to the Atlanta community. The Council will host a public reception at 12:30pm in Committee Room # 1, 2nd Floor, and award the proclamation during the City Council meeting at 1 p.m.

Life-sized photographs of Moving in the Spirit’s young people will be displayed in the City Hall Atrium, in celebration of the proclamation. Created by renowned Atlanta photographer JD Scott as part of his “Believe in Me: Dancing from the Inside Out” exhibit, the images capture the hopes and dreams of Moving in the Spirit’s young dancers and feature testimonials of their inspiring stories.

Nationally recognized for its innovation and impact, Moving in the Spirit transforms the lives of young people ages 3-18 through the art of dance, helping them become successful, compassionate leaders. It has invested in research, development and rigorous evaluation to build its unique curriculum, ensuring that outcomes are set and measured against benchmarks proven to transform the lives of youth in lasting ways. Remarkably, 100% of Moving in the Spirit seniors graduate from high school, going on to pursue college, vocational school or careers in the military.

“I can remember the day we received notification of our first grant award from the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, over two decades ago,” shares Dana Lupton, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Moving in the Spirit. “It was an awesome and humbling feeling to have the support of our great city behind our idea to create leaders through dance. Twenty-five years later, the City of Atlanta, its council members and elected officials have never wavered in their support, helping us create measurable, positive change for hundreds of young people. We are deeply grateful to receive this amazing honor.”

Since its inception in 1986, Moving in the Spirit’s young leaders have represented Atlanta and Georgia twice at The White House, performed for dignitaries including President Jimmy Carter, President George W. Bush and Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and toured internationally to present their uplifting choreography.

The proclamation and City Council meeting will take place at 1 p.m. on Monday, February 20, 2012 at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue Atlanta, GA 30303. JD Scott’s photography, featuring Moving in the Spirit’s dancers, will be displayed in the City Hall Atrium from February 19 – 25, 2012. Both the exhibit and the council meeting are open to the public.

Moving in the Spirit dancers will perform later that same week in the 9th Annual Men in Motion Show, February 25 (6pm and 8pm) and February 26 (3pm and 5pm), at The Beam Theatre, located at 750 Glenwood Ave Atlanta, GA 30316. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for ages 13 and under, and can be purchased at the door on the night of the event. More information can be found at www.movinginthespirit.org under “News and Events.”