Saturday Night Alive (SNA), Denver Center for Performing Art’s black tie gala, netted over a million dollars for arts education! Now that is something to celebrate Denver!
On Saturday night March 4, 2017, the Denver Center Alliance rolled out the red carpet for its annual event that showcases exclusive Broadway entertainment for a worthy cause. This year’s guests were treated to a once in a lifetime performance by Savion Glover, Tony Award winner and legendary tap dancer.
Kids and teens, from DCPA’s education programs, opened the night with two heartfelt songs from Kinky Boots: Just Be and Raise You. Teens and beneficiaries of DCPA’s education programs carried iPads throughout the room to help guests bid on spectacular silent auction items. The SNA auction never disappoints with items like VIP backstage access to the Denver run of Hamilton, a trip around the world, African safaris, trips to Paris and Milan, concert tickets, exquisite jewelry, local getaways to Aspen, Devil’s Thumb and the Broadmoor.
One of the exciting items up for auction was a one of kind commissioned painting of Savion Glover valued over $5,000. Darrell Anderson, the artist who painted Glover, attended the Gala with his wife Shawnee.
Anderson said he knew he wanted to paint Glover the minute he heard the famous tap dancer was coming to Denver. Last year, Anderson painted Misty Copeland when she was in Denver for the Women’s Foundation luncheon. He has also created spectacular public art for Denver like the mosaic floor on concourse A at Denver International Airport.
SNA event chairs, L. Roger and Meredith Hutson, welcomed the crowd with DCPA Director of Education Allison Watrous and DCPA CEO Janice Sinden . Guests enjoyed a perfectly prepared dinner by Epicurean with truffled wild mushroom tenderloin and western red and white quinoa salad.
After dinner, guests took their seats in the Stage Theater where Savion Glover, along with three other dancers and a full band, mesmerized guests with a jaw dropping high energy performance. Following the show, party goers returned to the Seawell Ballroom to put their own feet to the dance floor with the “toe tapping” music of the Wash Park Band.
Despite the pomp and glamour of the evening, the children in the arts programs were never lost in the glitter. Earlier in the day, Glover graciously led a master class for students in the DCPA education programs. After his performance that evening he held a fun photo shoot for the kids. While on stage, Glover told the audience,
I am most glad to be here because of what this evening stands for. Let me tell you, we, all of us up here, are heavy advocates for arts education.
The gala is the signature event of the Denver Center Alliance (DCA), a fundraising support organization of the DCPA education programs. The ladies of the DCA were radiating with Denver style: Lois Paul, the DCA, President; Susan Struna, the Silent Auction Chair and Valerie Taron, DCPA Associate Director of Development.
