Every day is opening night.

Press Contacts:
Matthew Troillett / Gerilyn Shur
matthew@omdkc.com / gerilyn@omdkc.com
212 695 7400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

BROADWAY ON DEMAND
ANNOUNCES NEW
COMPLETELY FREE
DANCE AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT SERIES
“SHARE THE FLOOR”

CREATED BY
CHRISTOPHER  GATTELLI
WITH
VASTHY MOMPOINT AND PHIL LADUCA

BEGINNING THIS
INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY
THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021

PROGRAM TO FEATURE GUESTS ARTISTS INCLUDING
ARIANA DEBOSE, SERGIO TRUJILLO, FRANCESCA HARPER, SAVION GLOVER, SASHA HUTCHINGS, BILL T. JONES, RICHARD RIAZ YODER
AND MORE

New York, NY (April 28, 2021) – Broadway On Demand, the industry-leading theater streaming platform, is proud to present a new, completely free, dance and social movement series, Share the Floor, created by Christopher Gattelli with Phil LaDuca and hosted by Vasthy Mompoint, launching this International Dance Day, tomorrow, Thursday, April 29, 2021.

Share the Floor, conceived and created by Gattelli to showcase BIPOC choreographers and those from underrepresented populations in the dance world, is a free online program which provides both dance instruction and offers up-close-and-personal interviews with some of the brightest dancers, choreographers, and dance instructors working on Broadway and in the global entertainment industry. Each one-hour program begins with an interview with that day’s guest artist, followed by a live dance class led by that artist, and culminates in a short Q&A. Throughout each episode, participants will hear stories from the guest artist about their journey with the hope of passing along their knowledge in a personal way and inspiring through positive encouragement and mentorship. Classes will cover a range of abilities and styles.

“The need to have a more diverse representation and equity in all fields, not just in our Broadway community, but globally, is not only demanded but long overdue,” said Gattelli. “My hope is that Share the Floor is something not just for the current moment but is a program that will continue educating and providing an outlet for artists to create. I hope that you will join us in our effort to bridge the gap and make the dream of diversity and equality, a universal reality.”

“Share the Floor was created to share life experiences as well as to pass on life and dance lessons,” added Mompoint.

LaDuca said, “I believe in not only giving back to this great community of dance, but I also feel obligated to pass the baton to future generations – sharing all the knowledge that was gifted to me by the greats who have helped me achieve my goals and dreams.”

Share the Floor takes place every Thursday at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT only on Broadway On Demand. Following each live class, Share the Floor will be available for viewing on demand.

The inaugural episode of Share the Floor features Richard Riaz Yoder (Hello, Dolly!: Shuffle Along…; On the Twentieth Century) and continues, weekly, with dance luminaries such as Ariana Debose, Savion Glover, Francesca Harper, Sasha Hutchings, Bill T. Jones, Sergio Trujillo, and more. Additional guest artists will be announced as the program continues.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD ARTWORK AND HEADSHOTS

The Share the Floor creative team includes Christopher Gattelli (Conceiver, Creator and Producer), Vasthy Mompoint (Producer, Creative Advisor and Host), Phil LaDuca (Producer and Creative Advisor), Mason Granger (Producer and Technical Director), Jane Abramson (Producer), Roberto Araujo (Associate Producer and Broadcast Director), and Richard Riaz Yoder (Associate Producer, Social Media Director and 1^st Guest Artist).

Open Jar Studios provides studio space to Share the Floor as part of their Broadway Inclusion Project which devotes 500 hours of studio space per year to BIPOC and underrepresented individuals. openjarstudios.com/broadway-inclusion

BIOGRAPHIES

CHRISTOPHER GATELLI (Conceiver, Creator and Producer) is an acclaimed and multi-award-winning choreographer receiving the 2012 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his choreography of Newsies. He is also a Joe A. Callaway award-winner for his work on Altar Boyz, recognizing excellence in directing and choreography in New York City and selected by industry peers; and a three-time Lortel winner for Dogfight (2005), Altar Boyz (2005), and Bat Boy: The Musical (2001), recognizing excellence in off-Broadway. Broadway credits include My Fair Lady (Tony, OCC nomination), Spongebob Squarepants (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nomination), The King And I (Tony, OCC nomination), South Pacific (Tony, OCC nomination), The Cher Show (OCC nomination), Sunday In The Park With George, War Paint, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, Casa Valentina, Amazing Grace, Godspell, The Ritz, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, 13, and High Fidelity. In addition, he was the choreographer for Camelot at Lincoln Center, a benefit with Lin-Manuel Miranda.  In the West End and London, he choreographed The King And I which earned him an Olivier nomination. Additional London productions include South Pacific; Sunday In The Park With George; Tick, Tick, Boom!; and Silence! The Musical.

VASTHY MOMPOINT (Producer, Creative Advisor and Host) is so excited to be a part of the Share the Floor team! Vasthy was inspired to dance by watching artists like the ones she was able to interview for this very project  and hopes to inspire other first-generation kids (she is Haitian) to use their voice and realize that they are valid and enough. Select past credits: The Prom (Broadway and film) Spongebob Squarepants The Musical (Broadway and film) Mary Poppins, The Legend of Georgia McBride. Film and television: “NCIS,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” Dick Johnson is Dead. Writing: CBS showcase, SNL writing scholarship. Producing: Vasthy’s Friends, Bits, Gummies, Folk, and Love.

PHIL LADUCA (Producer and Creative Advisor) is an internationally acclaimed shoe designer, Broadway performer, choreographer, and director, and the most recognized name in dance shoes. But before the shoes, there was Phil LaDuca, the performer, who went from classical ballet onto Broadway as a song and dance man, ‘hoofing’ with the biggest stars onstage, offstage and the big screen, from Rudolf Nureyev to Katy Perry, Meryl Streep to Antonio Banderas. On Broadway he appeared in Brigadoon for Agnes DeMille, Pirates of Penzance with Kevin Kline for Graciela Daniele, and was the original understudy for the Gene Kelly role in Singin’ In the Rain for Twyla Tharp. Phil also toured in Camelot with Richard Harris as well as starring as Bill Snipson in Me and My Girl. Phil performed with American Dance Machine under the legendary Lee Theodore, working with such greats as Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Ona White, Danny Daniels, Patricia Birch, Anne Reinking, Wayne Cilento and Chita Rivera. Later he began choreographing, directing, and teaching master classes around the world; from Russia where he was dubbed the ‘Godfather of Jazz’ – the first American jazz dance teacher in St. Petersburg, Russia, now home to the “Phil LaDuca Broadway Dance Center, to Amsterdam, Rome, Tokyo, Vienna at the esteemed Vienna for the Wien Opernhaus. In 2015 Phil became the first, “Shoe Commentator” for the Miss America Pageant. He is most proud of being bestowed a Drama Desk Award 2017 for, “Proving that character comes from the ground up, the designer’s innovative flexible dance ensures that hoofers on any stage remain on point”.

MASON GRANGER (Producer & Technical Director) is a poet, host, and producer with 15+ years of professional experience on stage & in classrooms across 49 states and six countries. He created the poetry video platform SlamFind as a way to connect poets & poetry fans with live poetry venues around the country and continues in the spirit of that work as Outreach Coordinator with Get Lit and thru multiple forthcoming creative projects. Originally from Philadelphia by way of Willingboro, NJ, Mason currently lives in Los Angeles. Mason has additional producer credit for Mayhem Poets and Vasthy’s Friends. Mason has served as the Executive Director of Bowery Poetry and host of PoetNY.

JANE ABRAMSON (Producer) is a producer and creative executive who recently joined Michael Cassel Group as their Head of Creative Development. Prior to joining MCG, Abramson spent nearly two decades developing and managing new musicals for Disney Theatrical Group. In 2018, in collaboration with her Disney colleagues, Abramson co-founded Women’s Day on Broadway. Independently, Abramson has produced over three dozen productions in the downtown, New York theater circuit.

ROBERTO ARAUJO (Associate Producer & Broadcast Director) is a performer director, producer and content creator originally from México City, who has made a name for himself in the theatrical community in his 23 years career. As the Director of Video Production at Playbill, he has created several recurring series including Playbill – The Game Show, Elevator Pitch and From Ballet to Broadway, as well as being a producer and editor of the recent virtual concerts Pride Spectacular, Women in Theatre and ¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices. He directed the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus’ holiday concert Sweet is the Sound and produced, directed and edited the English-language world premiere virtual concert of the Mexican musical Anjou: The Musical Horror Tale. He has directed and produced his solo show Do You Dream In Spanish? at The Green Room 42. His regional and international credits include: West Side Story at North Shore Music Theatre, the Spanish-language premiere of In the Heights at GALA Theatre in Washington, DC, the international tour of Fame and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in Germany and Austria. @robertoaraujophotography

RICHARD RIAZ YODER (Associate Producer & Social Media Director, 1^st Guest Choreographer) is an Astaire Award-winning Broadway veteran of five Tony-nominated and winning musicals. He is most known on Broadway for being a Porter in On The Twentieth Century for which he was nominated for Best Male Dancer in a Broadway Show. His Broadway credits include White Christmas; On The Twentieth Century; Shuffle Along…; Hello, Dolly! and My Fair Lady. Richard’s television credits include co-staring as Conrad on “Mom”, as a featured performer on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” starring Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Hugh Jackman, as a featured performer for “Taking the Stage” opening of the African American Museum in DC (Choreographed by Savion Glover), and two Tony Awards Telecasts. He can also be heard on the revival cast recordings of Hello, Dolly!  and On The Twentieth Century. He works as a master tap teacher around the country when not performing.

Share the Floor, born out of events arising from the BLM movement and the “Share the Mic” initiative on Instagram, was conceived and created by Christopher Gattelli, a Tony Award-winning Broadway choreographer and director, who recognized the need to address change in the arts for the BIPOC community. Determined to actively be a part of the solution, Gattelli enlisted Vasthy Mompoint, veteran Broadway actress and performer and daughter of Haitian immigrants, as well as Phil LaDuca, renowned Broadway and film shoe designer, with the intent of bringing like minds together, who are dedicated to creating new opportunities within the arts community and in the dance world. Share the Floor showcases BIPOC choreographers and choreographers from underrepresented populations who work in theater, film, television, live arts, and entertainment, with the goal of giving time and visibility not only to those who have already achieved success but also to introduce the community to new talent who are just starting out.

Broadway On Demand is the industry-leading livestream platform housing performance & theatre education programming, and the preferred choice of top Broadway artists, producers, educators, and professionals. Broadway On Demand has streamed 2,500 events and live productions—from Broadway shows to concert series, performance venues to individual artists, and original content—in 82 countries to over 300,000 viewers. Thanks to a unique licensing interface, ShowShare, approved middle school, high school, college, community, and professional theatre productions utilize the platform to stream to their audiences. Broadway on Demand is available on the web, mobile, Apple and Android app store, AppleTV, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV. For access to the complete and ever-expanding Broadway on Demand library, subscribe at BroadwayOnDemand.com.

Broadway Access Pro is the new master class subscription from Broadway On Demand. Get immediate access to over 250 master classes & exclusive content from more than 100 Broadway icons, performers, & creators, for the ultimate Broadway training program at home or on-the-go. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your vocal & dance skills, learn how to get cast in a Broadway musical, or get an inside look at the creative process of designing a show for the stage – unlock secrets from Broadway’s industry leaders with programs on acting, dance, producing, directing, audition technique, accent courses, business coaching, performer-focused fitness & more.

#  #  #

ShareTheFloorLive.com
instagram.com/ShareTheFloor
twitter.com/ShareTheFloorDance

BroadwayOnDemand.com
facebook.com/BwayOnDemand
instagram.com/bwayondemand
twitter.com/bwayondemand