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Tampa organization releasing movie to spread importance of dance: 'Bring dance together, to create awareness'

By Bryan Gray
Published  March 27, 2025 7:04pm EDT
What's Right with Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

Tampa organization seeks to spread dance

In What's Right with Tampa Bay, FOX 13's Mark Wilson highlights a Tampa organization that brings dancers, artists and collaborators together to spread the importance of dance.

The Brief

    • A Tampa organization is bringing together dancers, artists and collaborators to spread the importance of dance.
    • Dance Tampa Bay, a group of local artists, is releasing a movie to spread that message at the Gasparilla Film Festival.
    • They hope to inspire the next generation of Tampa dancers.

TAMPA, Fla. - A grassroots organization is stepping into the spotlight to bring together dancers, artists and collaborators from across Tampa Bay.

Local dancers practicing.

Dance Tampa Bay is a community network working to elevate the local dance scene and create new opportunities for performers and students alike. Their mission is "What's Right With Tampa Bay." 

The backstory:

From ballet to hip-hop, from contemporary to cultural dance, Tampa Bay is home to a vibrant and diverse dance community. 

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"There are so many organizations, and schools and studios where there is really great art happening in the city, but it hasn't really been noticed," said Bliss Kohlmeyer, a Dance Tampa Bay board member. 

Dance Tampa Bay members with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

To change that, the local artistic community launched ‘Dance Tampa Bay.’ 

What they're saying:

"Dance Tampa Bay is a grassroots organization that advocates for professionals, students, and collaborators across all parts of the dance industry," Kohlmeyer explained. 

Its goal is to inform audiences about upcoming events and bring the dance community together.

"The mission is to bring dance together, to create awareness, because one of our problems in dance has been that we don't have enough advocacy," said Paula Nunez, a Dance Tampa Bay board member. "We don't have enough people talking about what dance means." 

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They’re spreading that message through a new film called ‘Dance Rising: Power of Water.’ 

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Scene from ‘Dance Rising: Power of Water.’

"We're hoping that this film brings more awareness to dance and performance in general and continues to inspire young kids to want to dance and to make Tampa Bay a place where performers can thrive professionally," said Heidi Marks, the creative director of Mad Bear Productions.

Local perspective:

To keep the movement going, they need community support. 

"The public needs to know that we could do so much more for our artistic community with investment because performing arts are such an important part of a healthy arts ecosystem," said Jennifer Gordon, the director of advancement for the Tampa City Ballet. 

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From public performances to educational programs, organizers say they’re committed to making dance more visible across the region.

"We have performances in the park, and we’ve invited schools, studios, and universities to come together and share what they offer with the public," said Nunez.

What's next:

This is just the beginning, as future workshops, showcases and collaborations are on the organization's horizon.

Dance Tampa Bay is working to ensure that dance remains vital to Tampa’s cultural heartbeat. 

Dance Tampa Bay members.

The film will be shown at the Gasparilla Film Festival tomorrow. 

For more information on Tampa Bay Dance, click here. For more information on the Gasparilla Film Festival, click here.

The Source: FOX 13's Bryan Gray collected the information in this story.

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