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Nigel Lythgoe spearheads National Dance Day on Saturday, July 31

By April MacIntyre Jul 26, 2010, 4:28 GMT

Nigel Lythgoe - New York City, NY, USA © Jill Bednar / PR Photos

National Dance Day, a grassroots movement taking place on Saturday, July 31 that encourages the people of this nation to get up and move, is being recognized with an official act of Congress.

Created by Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer and co-creator of the hit FOX series So You Think You Can Dance and founder of the Dizzy Feet Foundation, the aimof National Dance Day is to promote health and self-esteem through the art form of dance.

SYTYCD airs Wednesdays (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) and Thursdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, will introduce a National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on Saturday, July 31 in Washington, D.C., to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S.

“More than 30 percent of Americans are obese, and childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years,” said Norton. “Television shows such as SYTYCD are not only entertaining but are also encouraging people to live a physically active lifestyle. Holding a National Dance Day in the nation’s capital is a terrific way to promote fitness and fight obesity.”

Additionally, Congresswoman Norton will host her own National Dance Day flash mob on the National Mall (between 3rd St & 4th St SW) from 1:00-5:00 PM featuring local dance enthusiasts, representatives from dance schools and organizations and former SYTYCD finalists.

“National Dance Day does not ‘belong’ to any single corporation, television show or charity,” said Lythgoe. “It belongs to the people. It will be up to the individuals, corporations and charities of this country to come up with ways to take part – wherever they may be and whatever their motivation: whether it’s to lose weight, raise money for a nonprofit or just have fun.

It is my hope that countless exciting dance ideas will come to fruition on National Dance Day, like the world’s longest conga line in Miami or the world’s longest kick line in front of Radio City Music Hall or scores of breakdancers taking over the Venice boardwalk. The sky is the limit.”

The Dizzy Feet Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization co-founded in 2009 by Lythgoe, fellow SYTYCD judge and film director/producer Adam Shankman, “Dancing With The Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba and actress Katie Holmes, whose mission is to elevate and standardize the quality of dance education throughout the U.S.

The foundation’s contribution to the day is a viral video that includes instructional choreography by Emmy-nominated SYTYCD choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo.

Dizzy Feet will host a flash mob at the Music Center at the Performance Arts Center of Los Angeles County (135 N. Grand Avenue) from 10:00 AM-Noon. All are encouraged to attend and participate. Celebrity attendance includes members of the Dizzy Feet board, choreographers and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE finalists.

Some of the organized events taking place nationwide include the following:

City                                   Event/Time                                  Venue/Time

Chicago, IL                        Summer Dance Event                  Grant Park

                                          6:00-9:30 PM                                 601 S. Michigan Ave.

                                                                                                Chicago, IL 60605

Philadelphia, PA                WDAS-FM                                     Temptations Banquet Facility

                                          Family Fun Dance Day                 218-220 W. Chelten Ave.

                                          11:30 AM-1:00 PM                         Philadelphia, PA 19144

                                          The Rock School Event                The Rock School

                                          9:00 AM-2:30 PM                           for Dance Education

1101 South Broad St.

Philadelphia, PA 19147

Dallas, TX                         KDFW and KISS FM                     Six Flags Over Texas

                                          Dance Party                                  2201 Road to Six Flags

                                          4:00 PM                                         Arlington, TX 76010

Boston, MA                        KISS-FM                                        The Launch at Hingham Shipyard     

                                          Family Fun Dance Day                 25 Shipyard Dr.

                                          11:30 AM-2:00 PM                          Hingham, MA 02043

Atlanta, GA                        WAGA and The Atlantic Station    Atlantic Station’s Central Park

                                          Dance Expo                                  245 18th St.

                                          1:00-6:00 PM                                 Atlanta, GA 30312

Phoenix, AZ                       101.5 JamZ                                   US Airways Center Courtyard

                                          Lady Gaga Dance-Off                   201 East Jefferson St.

                                          5:00-6:00 PM                                 Phoenix, AZ 85004

Tampa, FL                        All-Day Dance Celebration           Arthur Murray Palm Harbor/                                                                                                                                                                                                                       34930 US Highway 19

                                                                                                Palm Harbor, FL 34684

Sacramento, CA               KTXL and KBMB-FM                     Tre Nightclub

                                          Dance Party/Concert                    1212 Howe Ave.

5:00-7:00 PM                                 Sacramento, CA 95825

Nashville, TN                     Miss Amy’s Competitive Edge      Miss Amy’s Competitive Edge Dance/Wellness Expo                                                                Dance Studio                                209 Henslee Dr.

                                          9:00 AM-3:00 PM                          Dickson, TN 37055

Salt Lake City, UT             National Dance Day Event            UVU Campus

                                          4:00-10:00 PM                               McKay Events Center

                                                                                                800 W. University Pkwy.

                                                                                                Orem, UT 84058

Additional NATIONAL DANCE DAY celebrations include events in San Diego, CA; Birmingham, AL; and Orange, NJ. To find out if your hometown is hosting an event, log on to www.fox.com/dance for more information. Viewers are encouraged to submit their ideas and plans for NATIONAL DANCE DAY at www.fox.com/dance. Each week on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Lythgoe will spotlight the most dynamic videos of how people nationwide plan to celebrate the day.