And five, six, seven, eight… By day, Claudia Palta is the student services manager for the Department of Reading Education and Special Education. In her spare time, she teaches dance for App State’s Health Promotions and The Space @ Project Dance, a dance studio in Boone, North Carolina.
Recently, Palta helped choreograph and danced in the Project Dance New York 2023 event, which was held in Times Square, New York City. The purpose of the event was to engage professional, pre-professional, and aspiring dancers from all over the country for training, performance and networking. Dancers gather with a common vision: to bring hope and healing through the universal language of dance.
Claudia Palta (front) rehearses with the students. Photo submitted.
Specific to the event, Palta created a jazz Broadway-style piece to honor the memory of Chet Walker, a Broadway choreographer who passed away last year. The dance number “represents the dreams of young artists.”
“I met Chet in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2001,” recounted Palta. “He was my teacher, choreographer, and mentor. In recent years, coincidentally, we both moved to North Carolina, so we had the chance to get closer and build a nice friendship.”
She added, “I keep everything I have learned from him and pass it on to my students.”
Claudia Palta (front left) dances with her students and colleague Cheryl Cutlip (front right). Photo submitted.
Palta’s favorite moment during the event was sharing the stage and passion with her students as well as with her colleague Cheryl Cutlip, who is the founding director of the Project Dance Foundation.
“It was an amazing and touching experience for me, not only for presenting a choreography to honor my dear friend but also dancing on such an iconic stage next to incredible dancers,” said Palta. “I enjoyed seeing so many young artists who were able to live their dream and connect with teachers and dancers from all over the country!”
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Claudia Palta dancing in Times Square
