Media Release Immediate Release The Dancing Wheels Company celebrates its 35th Anniversary with 35 & Stayin Alive! April 5, 2016, Cleveland, Ohio - The Company that rolls in the City that rocks is celebrating the culmination of its whirlwind 35th anniversary season with glitz, glamour and a good time commemorating the 80's and beyond! The Big Event: Honorary Chairs, Jerry and Marilyn Schneider, together with a circle of 50 hosts have invited hundreds of VIP supporters including former Dancing Wheels Company dancers and choreographers to join them in celebrating this milestone occasion. The festivities for this fun filled event will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Windows on the River in the Nautica Complex. The festivities will commence at 6:30 p.m. with an unparalleled cocktail party featuring a lively casino, 80's video games and an awesome silent auction. Dancing Wheels Company & School's Board Chair Sue Joseph and Celebrity Host Jan Jones will kick off the dinner and formal presentation which includes a video montage, live performance of excerpted dances by the Company and School and a special award presentation presented to the nationally acclaimed champion of the arts Barbara Robinson. The formal presentation will conclude with a Champaign toast lead by Mary Verdi-Fletcher, President/Founding Artistic Director, followed by a spectacular light show presented by Fire and Light Performing Arts and an anniversary cake cutting ceremony. Guests will then be invited to boogie the night away to the high energy sounds of Kyle Primous and the K Street Band. Tickets for the 35 & Stayin Alive benefit gala are $125 per person, or $1250 for a sponsored table of ten which includes a half page ad in commemorative program. Tickets can be purchased online at www.dancingwheels.org or by calling (216) 432-0306. Proceeds from this event will help us continue our educational and outreach programs right here in Cleveland and across the country. A Bit of History: The Dancing Wheels Company was born in 1980, in an era of the Rubik's Cube, shoulder pads, “Dallas,” big hair, and arcade video games such as Pac Man and Frogger. It was a time when everyone was social dancing, except for people in wheelchairs. Daring to be different, Mary Verdi-Fletcher entered a dance competition with her non-disabled partner. Little did Mary know she was making history by giving entrée to a whole new genre of dance that would rapidly spread across the globe! Today known as Physically Integrated Dance, there are nearly 60 companies throughout the world offering this genre of dance with new and innovative approaches to inclusive dance occurring every year. Over three decades since its inception, the Dancing Wheels Company is comprised of 15 full time professional stand up and sit down (wheelchair) dancers who have come from around the country to join the touring troupe. With new branding as the World Center for Integrated Dance & Art Access, the Company continues to tour the world bringing inspiration and hope to over 30,000 people annually. The School of Dancing Wheels which was conceived in 1990 serves nearly 7,000 children with and without disabilities throughout Cuyahoga, Summit and Lorain Counties. The Company keeps its wheels in motion with innovative and passionate works that touch the hearts and minds of the young and the young at heart across the globe. Our Sponsors: The Dancing Wheels Company & School is grateful for the support of the following event funders: Sherwin-Williams, ABC Therapy, Nautica Complex and season sponsors Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, George W. Codrington Foundation, Kulas Foundation, Metro Toyota, National Endowment for the Arts, Nordson Corporation Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, The Kuhn Family Foundation, The Nord Family Foundation and Willoughby Aerie 2300 Faternal Order of Eagle. Contact: Mary Verdi-Fletcher, President/Founding Artistic Director (216) 432-0306 VFletcher1@aol.com # # #