Chattanooga, Tenn- The Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (CCA) is getting ready to host the second annual Ignite! Festival, Tennessee’s Youth Dance Festival, is set to take place from October 20 to 22, 2023. This festival is all about celebrating young performers and fostering a sense of community among students in grades 5-12. One of the festival's standout features is a dance piece taught by CCA alumna Alia Kache, who has come back to inspire the next generation.
Alia Kache's journey serves as a source of inspiration for CCA students. Addison McMullin, a senior at CCA and president of Project Motion, sees her as a role model: "Her career path is inspiring to where I want to go, and it's always neat to be in professional dances and see that as someone who wants to go into it as a profession. For a lot of us, she serves as a person we can look up to and learn a lot from."
Alia Kache graduated from CCA in the year 2000 and has since pursued a successful dance career. She received her early training at CCA and the Chattanooga Ballet and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University.
Kache's career is marked by performances with various companies, including Ailey II, Nathan Trice/RITUALS, and Creative Outlet. She has performed on global stages, such as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular's 75th Anniversary DVD and a performance in Barcelona, Spain. She was also a featured dancer in productions such as Big League Theatrical's Aida and Disney's The Lion King.
In addition to her performing career, Alia Kache is a choreographer and co-founder of the Renegade Performance Group, known for contributing to Broadway Cares and The Helping Hands Campaign.
Kache's return to CCA underscores Hamilton County School’s commitment to guiding its students toward successful careers in the arts. Jessica Laliberte Bowman, CCA's Dance teacher, emphasized the importance of alumni involvement and the inspiration it provides to current students.
Alia Kache's piece for the Ignite! Festival carries a powerful message about embracing one's emotions. She described it as a performance that conveys the idea that it's okay to not be okay, and it encourages people to let go and enjoy life.
As the Ignite! Festival begins on October 20th at Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts, there's more to look forward to than just dance performances. The festival introduces a new track for young dancers in grades 5-7 on Saturday, a Dance Film Mini-Intensive on Sunday, and a Social Dance Mixer on Sunday. The mixer even includes student and adult tickets for a lively Social Dance Mixer Celebration Party.
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