FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Lisa M. Kang
Executive Director Phone: 919.619.0483
Fax: 919.932.5799
Lisakang1@gmail.com
NORTH CAROLINA ARTS IN ACTION ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP
Lisa M. Kang serves as Executive Director
Kirstie Spadie serves as Artistic Director
CHAPEL HILL, January 30, 2006 - The Board of Directors of the recently formed North Carolina Arts in Action (NCAIA) announces the appointment of Lisa M. Kang as its Executive Director and Kirstie Spadie as its Artistic Director, effective immediately. In her new leadership role, Kang is responsible for all aspects of North Carolina Arts in Action programs, operations, fundraising, marketing and public relations, finance and administration. As Artistic Director, Spadie oversees all teaching, choreography and dance instructor training which is based on the methodology of the National Dance Institute of New York.
Prior to becoming Executive Director, Kang served as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for The New Detroit Science Center, a nationally known hands-on science museum. She provided the leadership and strategic marketing and communications vision for the grand re-opening of the museum in July 2001 which resulted in over 500,000 in its first year. For five years, she served as Director of Marketing for the Seattle Symphony during its $120 million concert hall opening. Prior to that, she was Director of Marketing and Public Relations for The New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Kang holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. She is married to Emil Kang, the Executive Director of the Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill. She and Emil have a 2 ½ year old daughter and reside in Chapel Hill.
In addition to serving as Artistic Director for Arts in Action, Spadie serves as the Artistic Director and co-founder of North Carolina Dance Institute. In 2003, she was awarded "Community Dance Educator of the Year" by the Dance Association for North Carolina Educators (DANCE). Spadie has performed and toured nationally and internationally with musical theatre productions, most notably as the White Cat Victoria in Cats. She has taught hundreds of children and adults throughout North Carolina and has participated in the National Dance Institute's Teacher Training Program in New York. Spadie received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the North Carolina School of the Arts. She resides in Raleigh with her husband, Jay Spadie.
"The Board of Directors is extremely fortunate to have Lisa and Kirstie leading our organization. Their love of the arts and children, as well as their level of expertise and energy, will ensure that our new in-school dance program will be a great success," said chair and founder Shirley Berger.
North Carolina Arts in Action (NCAIA) was founded by Shirley Berger with the knowledge that the arts, specifically dance, have a unique power to engage and motivate children. Berger served for many years on the Board of Directors of the National Dance Institute: New Mexico and has supported many other programs for children and the arts. The purpose of this in-school dance program is to help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence and a belief in themselves that will carry over into all aspects of their lives. NCAIA is affiliated with the National Dance Institute of New York founded by former New York City Ballet principal dancer, Jacques d'Amboise. This January, NCAIA is launching its first in-school pilot program at the Mel and Zora Rashkis Elementary School with 110 fourth graders participating. For more information, please call 919.619.0483. Photography available on request.