A Path Forward

·         Help raise us to raise funds for Ballroom Basix USA. This is a great way to help an organization that has committed itself to safe, social-distanced dancing as a way to contribute to the well-being and empowerment of schoolchildren of color.  Given the intensity of crisis, chaos and "disconnect" in our country this year, their unique, respectful way of "connecting" classmates with poise, politeness and positivity is perhaps more important now than ever before.

·         Help us pay our artists and video editors for their hard work. A lot of professionals have donated their time and effort to make our project possible.  We all worked extremely hard and took a risk on this project because we believe in helping others at their time of greatest need.

Description 

Over the holidays, we are bringing together a group of dancers, video, and audio professionals to work on music videos that will promote and highlight the efficacy of NYC COVID testing centers. testing availability, as well as widespread usage — all of which helped to curb New York’s first wave of the coronavirus.
 
As a part of this project, we are collaborating with our long-time friend and colleague Sidney "Dr. Dance" Grant and "Team BBX" who run New York City’s only large-scale, non-competitive partner dancing program for school children: BALLROOM BASIX USA (BBX). This extraordinary non-profit arts-in-education initiative has touched the young lives of more than 20,000 kids in 100+ NYC schools. Mr. Grant uses dance to impact students' social & emotional learning (SEL) at a critical time in their adolescent development. This year, BBX implemented innovative solutions to continue serving students and their families virtually. In addition to the joy and exercise of the dances themselves, these VLE (Virtual Learning Experience) classes significantly help to offset the depression, boredom and anxiety that so many children and parents are struggling with during these tumultuous times of loneliness and loss.

The goal of this GoFundMe campaign is two-fold: (1) We would like to pay the artists for their work. $6,000 from volunteers and angel investors was donated to help cover some of the production costs, however, many project participants donated their time. Many of us have been out of work for much of the pandemic, but we believe in the power of dance to transform lives and relationships. (2) We would also like to raise funds for Ballroom Basix USA, so that they can continue to serve underprivileged communities throughout New York City during this unprecedented pandemic.

 
Thank you for the privilege of your time. This production was made possible by the testing capabilities of NY State. Every donation, in any amount, will make a difference!

o   Stage 1 – $20,000 (Current Stage)
  
 Funds will use for Primarily compensating for floor space/reservations/recording

- Compensating any artists or participantor their time and effort.
- Donating a minimum of 50% of the funds  to Ballroom Basix USA, to continue their vital, empowering work among children of color
- Paying back individuals and/or business owners who have offered space/services


o   Stage 2 – Additional $30,000
- investing in advertising and promotion for public distribution, highlighting the fantastic job the NYC1 GOVT department of health has done with its PCR molecular rapid testing.  
- Donating a minimum of 50% of the funds raised to Ballroom Basix USA, to continue their vital, empowering work among children of color.
- Paying back the investors of this project with no greater than 25% of the additional money raised.

Conclusion:

·         We proudly present a project that showcases the intersection between social responsibility and artistic expression. We thank you for your interest, and wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season. Your support means a lot. It has been a difficult year for all of us, but we are stronger now than before. Let’s work together and help some kids. Stay safe and I wish you an awesome 2021! — Luis Carpi, Project Leader