Personal picks: Vashaw anxious to see dance and It Gets Better

This is an ongoing series in which Center for the Performing Arts employees and patrons write about the presentations they’re most looking forward to experiencing in the 2012–2013 season.

By Amy Dupain Vashaw

As the resident dance lover at the Center for the Performing Arts, I'm anxious to see all four of the dance performances we're offering this season.

The New York City modern of Doug Varone and Dancers; the mind-and-body-bending kinetic sculptures made by Pilobolus Dance Theatre; the fiery, intense rhythms of Noche Flamenca and the stunning Soledad Barrio; and the combination of Baroque grace and earthy flavor embodied by the two halves of the Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal's Italian Evening — I have a lot to be excited about!

But the projects that make me most grateful for the work I do at the Center for the Performing Arts are the ones that have the greatest impact on our community. That project in the coming season is It Gets Better. Not familiar with the project? Go to project to learn about it.

When we learned that the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and issues-driven Speak Theater Arts company were collaborating to tour a theatricalized version of the project, we knew it was right for us. The chance to have our community contribute to a national effort to end bullying, especially the bullying of gay and lesbian teens, thrills me.

Collaborating with Penn State's University Choir and the School of Theatre's Cultural Conversations festival extends the reach of It Gets Better. Be on the lookout for your chance to give hope to bullied teens by letting them know it gets better!

The arts are a powerful tool for creating social change. And that's one of the most important things the Center for the Performing Arts can contribute to our community. I'd love to hear about your personal picks for the season. Contact me at adv1@psu.edu.

Amy Dupain Vashaw is audience and program development director at the Center for the Performing Arts.