Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy (DADA) has joined a long list of sponsors offering a prize to the winners of the 2022 “Uplifting Minds II” (ULMII) Entertainment Conference’s national talent competition. DADA is offering the dance category winner 10 classes to the Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy. The “ULMII” competition other categories include singing, songwriting and acting. Performers get 4 minutes to showcase their talents before the “ULMII” industry panelists make their decision.
Debbie Allen is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award- winning dancer/actress (“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “West Side Story”). The Debbie Allen Dance Academy (3791 Santa Rosalia Drive, 90008) is known affectionately as DADA. The winner will receive professional dance training at one of the best institutions that offer dance instructions for Tap, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet and Flamenco.
The dance academy, a 501 (c) 3 organization, was founded by Debbie Allen in 2001 and its popularity in dance performances and training is now renowned, provoking such entertainers as Grammy winner Chris Brown to stop by to check out the dancers. The DADA Board of Directors at one time included such entertainment industry giants as Suzanne DePasse, Quincy Jones, her sister Phylicia Rashad, and Denzel and Pauletta Washington. Karen McDonald is the Academy’s director. Karen is skilled at Modern dance and has taught in Los Angeles for over 25 years. McDonald has also taught at the prestigious California Institute of Art.
Debbie visited the “ULMII” entertainment conference when it was housed at the Baldwin Hills Plaza from 2001 – 2004 to announce a show at her academy directed by Dave Scott (Step Up 2), and what the academy had to offer the dance competitors at ULMII. That year, 2003, guest panelists included Grammy winner, Brenda Russell, and rap legend, MC Lyte.
Held annually in Baltimore and Los Angeles, “Uplifting Minds II” offers a platform to showcase young aspiring talent (singing, songwriting, dancing and acting) in a competitive environment that provokes the best performances. It also provides information about the business of entertainment from the panel of industry professionals. As a result the event is known for its panelists and its wide range of developed and developing talents such as Grammy winning Miguel, songwriters/producers The Featherstones (Chris Brown), Starz Network’s Naturi Naughten and Disney’s RoShon Feagon.
A winner in each category is selected at each conference in 2022 (Baltimore via Zoom Saturday, April 16th and Los Angeles via Zoom Saturday, November 5). Aside from the “ULMII Best Artist Award” and the DADA Scholarship, this year’s prizes will also include a “free public relations and/or business management strategy/consult” from Dr. Eunice Moseley Senior Strategist at Freelance Associates, PRSA (www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com/FreelanceAssociates.html); “free entertainment contracts consult” from Baltimore based entertainment business mogul Paul Gardner, II (www.TheGardnerLawGroup.com); “free music track and studio time” from multi-award winning V.I.P. (Dust Dem AFF Productions); “free vocal or acting coaching” from performing arts specialist Nadiyah Kareem (Superstar Entertainment.); “free music contracts package” from Hollywood Attorney Richard Jefferson (www.LawyersRock.com), and “free artist management consult” from artist manager Dr. Kerri Moseley-Hobbs (www.Anthony-Michael.com).
Media sponsors include www.EURweb.com (over 185,000 visitors a week); www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com (over 160,000 hits a week), The Baltimore Times (over 80,000 readers a week), and Magic 95.9FM’s Doresa Harvey – host in 2022.
To see if you qualify to compete in the next ULMII Entertainment Conference’s National Talent Competition log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com or email [email protected].
You can also call 562-424-3836 and ask for the ULMII event coordinator. www.UpliftingMinds2com www.DebbieAllenDanceAcademy.com
