Dance: Heartbeat of Community
Celebrate the work of dancer Ione Nash, a 74-year-old African American woman who has been teaching dance in community centers in Philadelphia for more than thirty years. A heroine to those who know her, Ms. Nash is grounded in her belief that passionate expression of feeling is at the heart of great dance. In this piece, interviews with several students, members of her dance troupe, her drummer/long-time collaborator Skip Burton, and others pay tribute to her iconic status as a dancer, teacher, and an honored elder of African American culture. In her classroom, we see a master at work - and an intense, athletic, powerful woman who inspires students of all ages to move beyond what they thought they could accomplish.
Margie Strosser is an award-winning producer, director and writer in television and film whose projects include the autobiographical documentary "Rape Stories," and fictional works such as "Strange Weather" and "Moon Juice." Recently, Margie was the senior producer/writer for three seasons of "Birth Day," the Discovery Health Channel's highest rated daytime show. She and writing partner Cate Wilson are currently collaborating on a romantic comedy and a psychological thriller adapted from a British novel.
The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation was created in 1984 by business and civic leader George E. Bartol III to promote cultural activities in the Philadelphia region. Integral to the Foundationís philanthropic mission is the belief that art and culture are central components of a livable community.
November 5, 2000 - Shown with "When Dancers Go Bowling" at Prince Music Theater (Philadelphia, PA)