Exciting news! – RDA Performing Arts Ensemble (PAE) Company dancer, Gabriella Rae, 13, has been selected to represent Colorado in a new book called, Dance Across the USA. Nearly 3,000 dancers from across the country applied to model for the project and only around 150 were selected (approx. 2-4 per state).
The photographer, Jonathan Givens, owner of Entertainment Photography Specialists in Florida, is traveling to all 50 states in just 90 days to photograph the dancers at national parks and landmarks. The majestic images will create a book, which will then be sold to benefit our national parks and the National Endowment for the Arts. The goal is to publish the book at the beginning of December. 
Givens blogs regularly about his journey and posts some of the images he has taken so far. However, he is keeping the BEST photos that he will use in the book “under wraps”.
Gabriella had her photo shoot at Garden of the Gods in July. Needless to say, we are very proud of her accomplishment and can’t wait to see what amazing pictures end up in the book!
Much of the funding for the project is through fundraising, donations, and sponsors.
“No one is born a dancer. You have to want it more than anything.”