BY BTL STAFF
BLOOMFIELD HILLS – National Coming Out Day is an important day to celebrate the LGBTQ community and those who make the important decision to leave the closet and come out. This year, Kristi Faulkner Dance is hosting an "Empty the Closet" fundraiser from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 11 to benefit "Not in My House" – a collaboration with the Ruth Ellis Center in Highland Park to engage and inspire LGBTQ youth through performance and storytelling. "Not in My House" is an original dance production representing the authentic voices and coming out stories of the Center youth and Detroit-based professional dancers who identify as LGBTQ.
The "Empty the Closet" fundraiser, at Fred Astaire Studio, 2172 Franklin Road in Bloomfield Hills, will include food, drinks, and an open salsa dance lesson with professional teachers from Fred Astaire Studio. Party-goers who donate a bag of gently used or new clothing or new toiletries at the door will be entered into a prize raffle. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the Center and their exciting collaboration with Kristi Faulkner Dance. Also, to participate in a live auction to sponsor dancers.
"Not in My House" is supported in part by an award from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. The Knight Arts Challenge funds the best ideas for engaging and enriching Detroit through the arts. Through this fundraiser, Kristi Faulkner Dance hopes to complete the rest of their $30,000 match as part of the Knight Arts Challenge.
