Woodward Academy dancers to perform in N.Y. festival

Woodward Academy's Upper School Dance Ensemble will perform in the Locust Performing Arts Center of Stamford's Contemporary Dance Works Festival and Concert in New York City April 21-24. The festival is a weekend of dance classes, shows, and a final performance. Upper School Dance Ensemble members include Ryan Phillips, Colleen Gramlich, Aasha Patel, Gildea Katz, Kavya Paladugu, Arnae Cottle, and Rebecca Hart. In January, they spent one week with Jimmy Locust, artistic director and owner of the arts center, and learned and rehearsed his original work, "I've Got Rhythm." Locust has worked with celebrities including Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Paula Abdul. He is founder and director of Harmony Nation, an anti-bullying education program that performs at schools in and around New York City.