The Stars of New York Dance are champions for children

As the curtain rises during The Stars of New York Dance competition, Cheryl Todmann hopes you will be in Brooklyn sitting in The Theater at City Tech.

- KAYLYN KENDALL DINES, MBA

When the 15th Anniversary Divine Nine Dance Off begins at 7 p.m. on November 14, Errol Louis, of Spectrum News NY1, will be the host and Laurie A. Cumbo, Commissioner of NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, will be honored. But children will be the beneficiaries of the competition.

Anticipate memorable moments infused with cultural and artistic expression as the National Pan-Hellenic Council is represented. A member of each Black Greek-Letter sorority and fraternity, from the Divine Nine, will take the stage with their professional dance partners.

According to Todmann, the executive producer of The Stars of New York Dance, "I totally believe dance and education go hand in hand. This is an opportunity for us to provide economic equity for local dance companies. The funds we raise are given directly to the dance company to pay for dance scholarships for youth. The winner of this year's competition will win $10,000 and that will allow them to provide 10 children with a year of free dance tuition and training." Todmann founded The Stars of New York Dance, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization to ensure children could experience the structure, creativity, discipline, and confidence that can come from consistent dance training. Todmann, who is also a marketing and communications executive in higher education, said more than 150 leaders and several organizations provide support. They eased the financial burden for families of more than 400 young people for more than 14 years. The list of Stars reads like a 'Who's Who' list. Here are the names of this year's Stars.