Last Saturday was an energetic night at the Forrest Theatre as it marked the 22nd annual performance of “Shut Up and Dance,” presented by the Pennsylvania Ballet, benefiting the non-profit organization Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA). This year nearly reached its holding capacity with nearly 1400 tickets sold. More than 40 dancers left their hearts on the stage with each performance, starting the night off with “The Price of Gold” and ending the night with the classical “Dying Swan,” leaving us speechless.
Executive Director of MANNA, Sue Daugherty says, ”This year’s pieces had such diversity. There was a dazzling combination of ballet and modern dance, and the live music added so much energy. Scanning the audience, it was easy to see that they were completely enthralled. It was a great evening!”
The dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet dedicate their time and inspiration by choreographing and performing original pieces each year for Shut Up and Dance. This year, there were 13 performances, each with a different type of style and meaning. This night brought together thousands of people to make an impact to MANNA, as all proceeds go to providing nourishment of 720,000 meals 365 days out of the year to their clients in the Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey area.
After the show, we were lucky enough to meet Philly’s famous Drag Queen, Brittany Lynn. We can’t wait to see what performances Shut Up & Dance will surprise us with next year as we continue to support such an organization as amazing as MANNA. For more information, visit their website and follow them on Facebook, and Twitter.
