Danceware, the first and only provider of dance apparel and shoes locally and regionally, hosted the exciting final event of its original “For the Love of Danceware” dance competition under the patronage of the Lebanese Ministry of Culture represented by Mr. Sleiman Khouri and with the support of the Lebanese DanceSport Federation (LDSF) in the presence of its president Mr. Dany Ibrahim and its secretary general Mr. Habib Atallah on Wednesday, August 30 at its new retail shop in Jdeideh, among local and regional dancers, media representatives and social figures.
The “For the Love of Danceware” final event is the culmination of a 3 week social media dance competition where dance enthusiasts from around the region uploaded dance videos of them using the hashtags #4TheLoveOfDW and #4TheLoveOfDanceware.
A distinguished panel of renowned professionals: Caroline Hatem, Cynthia Dariane, Danielle Rahbani, Mike Poladian and Roy Khouri chose the final five participants following the end of the open competition on August 12. Those five finalists then took part in a round of online public voting which results were included in each of the contestants’ final grades during the live event at Danceware’s new Jdeideh store.
The aforementioned jury members, in addition to Rita Lamah, a Lebanese stylist and blogger, chose Lilia Hajj Ali as the winner of the competition following the live performances. The grand prize winner received a summer camp experience at the London Studio Center, while the four other finalists won a one-year scholarship at one of the following prominent local dance schools to continue their professional training and dance education: Al Sarab Alternative Dance School, Ecole de Ballet Terpsichore – Beirut, Dance Factory by Mike Poladian, STEPS – Performing Arts Studio and Maya School of Arts by Maya Nehme.
Danceware works with the most prominent dance TV shows and dance schools across the region and the event drew on those relationships with a live performance from each of the five competition finalists as well as riveting performances including an opening by Broadway dancers from STEPS Performing Arts Studio, a Lebanese Champions Formation Show from Dance Factory by Mike Poladian and special choreographies from Maya School of Arts by Maya Nehme.
“At Danceware, our core mission is to support dance education. We believe dance is an education and a source of art, a mode of expression and communication, not just an activity or sport,” said Carol Abdo, Danceware’s Operations Manager. “In dance, we expect to give rather than receive and at Danceware, we strive to incorporate that concept into everything we do. Our “For the Love of Danceware” competition is sharing powerful, beautiful, meaningful performances with the Lebanese community and beyond. We’re excited to provide a forum to showcase the exquisite talent right here in our region and provide a lifetime of opportunities to learn, grow and make the world a better place through dance.”