DanceOff benefiting Well House returns to the Pyramid Scheme

Grand Rapids' best dancers will once again go head to head in a battle to crown the ultimate dance champion on December 3. Back for its second year, the event awards the top dancer with a grand prize of $500 while proceeds from ticket sales benefit local nonprofit, Well House. Last year's event raised $4500 for Well House.

Jonathan Williams is the founder and organizer of The DanceOff. Williams, who also is one of the organizers of Failure Lab, says the inspiration behind the event is pretty simple: "I always wanted to organize a dance off." He says his dream became a reality when Tami VandenBerg, director and founder of Well House, welcomed the idea as a fund and awareness raiser for her program and then gave him the green light to organize. "The Well House is a very progressive nonprofit and Tami is the perfect partner," Williams says.

Live tryouts for the event were November 9th at the Pyramid Scheme. Dancers still can enter The DanceOff by submitting a 3-minute video of their best moves at www.thedanceoff.co. DanceOff contestants who make the cut will compete before three judges and a packed house on stage at the Pyramid Scheme at 8 p.m. on December 3. Two rounds will lead to a final dance battle that determines the final winner. The Dance Off welcomes experienced and diverse dancers who are ready to give an upbeat and exciting performance.

Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased online at www.thedanceoff.co. View a video trailer for DanceOff 2015 here. 100 percent of proceeds go to support the programming at Well House.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor