PRESS RELEASE

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (September 3, 2020) – Collage Dance Collective is pleased to announce the Dream Maker phase of its capital campaign to develop the new Collage Dance Center (the Center). The Center, a sprawling 22,500 square foot facility, will serve as home to the Collage Dance Conservatory and Collage’s internationally touring ballet company. To date, Collage has raised over $8.8 million of its $11 million capital campaign goal.

“Collage is committed to dreaming beyond the unprecedented challenges that our community is facing and preparing for a not-so-distant future where our students, professional company members and patrons can once again come together,” shared Marcellus Harper, executive director and co-founder of Collage Dance Collective. “With faithful community support, we are pressing forward to realize the opening of Collage’s new state-of-the-art ] center for dance and culture this fall,” Harper added.

Funds raised during the Dream Maker phase of the capital campaign will be amplified by a $5 million matching grant from an anonymous donor. Gifts to the campaign are currently being matched dollar for dollar.

Located at the corner of Tillman St. and Sam Cooper Blvd. and slated to open in October 2020, the Center will serve as a cultural anchor for the Binghampton community and the largest arts and culture campus of its kind in the Mid-South. The Collage Dance Conservatory will also be positioned to build on its distinction of training more kids of color in a classical art form than any other non-profit organization throughout the region.

“Our dream of centering high-quality ballet training in Memphis and making the Collage Dance Conservatory a sought-after training program for the region is coming true,” shared Kevin Thomas, artistic director and co-founder of Collage Dance Collective. “We began with just one student ten years ago and with public support of our capital campaign we will grow to train more than 1,000 students each term at the new Center,” Thomas added.

The Dream Makers phase offers three levels of support ranging from $7,500 down to $1,500, each with multi-year payment options, perks, and opportunities for permanent recognition on the new building.

For more information on the capital campaign, Collage Dance Collective, and how you can become a Dream Maker visit collagedance.org/2020vision.

About Collage Dance Collective
Positioning itself as the largest Black-owned ballet company in the South, Collage Dance Collective has worked to inspire the growth and diversity of ballet by showcasing a repertoire of relevant choreography and world-class dancers representative of our community. The professional company has presented ten full-length seasons in Memphis, plus national and international touring presenting a diverse range of classical and contemporary choreography. Its institutional arm, the Collage Dance Conservatory, trains more kids of color in a classical art form than any other non-profit in Memphis or the Mid-South. In fall 2020, Collage is set to open a state-of-the-art facility designed to expand its programming, training and impact. The work of Collage Dance Collective has been featured in media outlets including Huffington Post, Allure, Yahoo!, The Commercial Appeal, Vibe, Afropunk and Pointe Magazine. www.collagedance.org