THE PAST: “DanceWeek”
In 1998, The Heritage Dance Foundation, a 501 ( c )3 non profit corporation created by Charles S. Zwerling, MD, bought DanceWeek from Dick Mason in order to continue his fine work and report the news of ballroom dancing in the United States. DanceWeek became overnight the flagship for the Heritage Dance Foundation whose mission is: to promote the international sport of partnership dancing through encouraging opportunities for dance education, cultivating excellence within the sport and elevating overall standards for a superior competitive environment.
Over the past years the Heritage Dance Foundation has developed and maintained many worthwhile projects, including:
1. The Junior Dance Foundation assisting youth in ballroom,
2. The United States Dance Congress annual event and seminar which the HDF transferred to the NDCA
3. Publication of the national bi-weekly newsletter, DanceWeek.
4. The publication of Ability, The Ballroom Dance Journal,
5. Establishment of amateur and professional dance scholarships
6. Board of directors of the National Dance Council of America
7. Assisting Competition Organizers for tax deductible scholarship events
8. Outreach Program with the Top Hatters
9. Development of Encore Entertainment & musical theatre
10. Partnership with WEN in creation of Dancing Stars of Wayne County
THE PRESENT
Presently, The Heritage Dance Foundation continues to produce a number of projects. DanceWeek is now in its 33 year of existence and still reports all the important news and events in the ballroom industry. The foundation continues in its important role as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Dance Council of America. The Heritage Dance Foundation is the largest non profit, independent organization of its type in the United States and continues to assist various professional, amateurs, and competition organizers in granting scholarship funds specifically for ballroom dancing throughout the country.
Recently, the Heritage Dance Foundation produced the successful “Remember the Paramount” on August 18, 2007. The profits from the show were used in the rebuilding efforts of the Paramount Theatre in Goldsboro, North Carolina by the Paramount Theatre Foundation, headed by Mr. David Weil. The event organized for the first time all the various dance studios, civic ballet, and performing arts studios in Wayne County to produce a community based show to help raise funds for the rebuilding project. As a result of the overwhelming artistic and financial success of the show, the Heritage Dance Foundation produced a new show for 2008, “Broadway at Paramount”. The goal of this new show was to continue in developing the collaborative efforts of all the local performing arts studios and theatres as well as creating the first ever community based scholarship program for the young performers. It is the hope of the foundation to continue this an annual scholarship and variety show to assist these young talented performers in their careers in dance and theatre.
On June 13, 2009 the Heritage dance Foundation began taping for
television broadcast of “A Time to Dance” filmed at Carolina Classic Competition in Greensboro and at the Paramount Theatre in Goldsboro, NC by McWhorter Concepts, Inc. of Greensboro, NC. The final production was broadcast on RDC-TV, January 16th 2010. This regional TV affiliate has an estimated viewing audience in access of 2 million subscribers. In 2011 , the second season of “A Time to Dance” will be broadcasted again on RDC-TV from taping of the 2010 Carolina Classic Competition..
On March 26, 2011, the Heritage Dance Foundation produced the first annual Dancing Stars of Wayne County to provide funds for the Wayne Education Network for the various non profit educational projects. Charles and Melissa Zwerling were the executive producers of the event.
THE FUTURE
On February 2011, Dr. Charles and Melissa Zwerling purchased the Acme Theatre property on Center Street to create a new Performing Arts Center rehearsal space (ZPAC) for the non profit artistic companies of Wayne County. The goal of the new center will be professional rehearsal space to prepare the artists for their performances at the Paramount Theater as well as other venues in Wayne County.
In April 2014, the Heritage Dance Foundation opened the Salter Path Museum and a new subsidiary, The Salter Path Heritage Association in Salter Path, North Carolina. As part of the HDF mission statement to develop the arts, these two new
organizations are devoted to the visual arts as well as preserving the heritage of salter Path, North Carolina. The HDF looks forward to introducing ballroom activities and other performing arts to this new venture.
Heritage Dance Foundation, Inc
Charles S. Zwerling, MD, Chairman of the Board
107 South Center Street
Goldsboro, North Carolina 27530
Telephone 919-736-3500
Fax 919-735-3701
E Mail Address: zwerling@ballroom.org
Heritage Dance Foundation web site: www.ballroom.org
