Keeping dance vital and growing in Howard County.

Funds as of 11/2008 needed to establish the fund: $7,000.
Fund to be managed by the Columbia Foundation.
Total funds needed: $10,000

Estimated annual grant award: $500

Fund Mission: To provide an annual grant to assist a Howard County dance company to engage a guest choreographer to work with the company and create new dance. The intent is to allow local dance companies and dancers to grow by working with regional and national choreographers. The grant will realize Kinetics Dance Theatre founder Dottie Fried’s vision of a creative community, where artists challenge, grow and learn from one another.

Eligibility: Any dance company in Howard County is eligible to apply for the grant.

Background: In l983, Dottie Fried, along with visual artist Keith Nichols and dancer Stephanie Simmons founded Kinetics Dance Theatre at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City, MD. Kinetics included a professional dance company, a junior dance company and a pre-k through 12 dance school. Their dream—their Camelot--as Alvin Mayes, dancer, educator and a former director of the company, said in describing their artistic vision, was to assemble a community of artists of all disciplines in a creating and learning environment. To that end, Kinetics worked with and showcased regional choreographers in an annual series of performances at the Center for the Arts. 

Dottie Fried died of cancer in April 2008, but Kinetics Dance Theatre lives on. It recently celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. The current artistic director, Priscilla Kaufhold was recruited to the company by Dottie Fried, and a quarter of a century later, Kinetics Dance Theatre is still dancing and still a creative force.  The Dottie Fried Choreography Fund was established to realize the dream of a learning and creative community by encouraging dancers in Howard County to involve regional and national choreographers in their work.

Give online to the Columbia Foundation, www.columbiafoundation.org. All gifts, small or large, are fully tax deductible.

Information: Mary Toth, 410-440-4420 at Mary Toth Consulting.

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