Videos

April 5, 2025 – The Carole Cascio Fund is excited to share details about the 3rd Day of Dance performances. In collaboration with Rob Thompson and the Eastern Shore Arts Festival sponsored by (CCF), Our Day of Dance at the Todd Performing Arts Center at Chesapeake College. In addition to the performances, CCF also sponsored a free Paul Taylor Modern Dance class for local dancers and performers, taught by CCF Teaching Artist Amy Young-Kleinendorst.

March 14, 2025 – CCF is thrilled to share the success of the Free Dance Performance sponsored by the Carole Cascio Fund (CCF) at the YMCA in Centreville. This event featured the renowned Ballet Theater of Maryland (BTM) from Annapolis.

This is the second collaboration between CCF and the YMCA to bring professional dance to our local community. I had the pleasure of working closely with BTM’s Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch to curate excerpts from their extraordinary repertoire. Nicole and her company of 33 dancers adapted beautifully to the informal performance space in the YMCA gym.

March 14, 2025 – Sylvia Soumah, Founder and Artistic Director of Coyaba Dance Theatre in D.C. led a West African dance class at Kent Island High School in Stevensville.

Amber Wright the Director of Dance at KIHS greeted Sylvia and her team. Before class her three professional drummers worked for 30 minutes with 5 percussion/band students who were welcomed to sit in and accompany the professional drummers during class. Sylvia and the drummers were fantastic with the student percussionists and incredibly encouraging. The dance class was accompanied by energetic 8 person drumming team. Sylvia guided the students through various West African dance steps. The dancers quickly learned a number of different styles of traditional movements, displaying confidence and enthusiasm for the vibrant and fun West African steps.

February 22, 2025 – Over 50 local dancers took classes on stage in the John F Andrews Performing Arts Center at Queen Anne County High School in Centreville.

Ballet was taught by Lorraine Audeoud Spiegler a master teacher with the Washington Ballet in D.C. Our newly appointed CCF Teaching Artist, Amy Young-Kleinendorst taught a Paul Taylor Modern Dance class. Hip Hop was taught by our CCF Teaching Artist Adrienne Kraus Latanishen. Renee Gerardo, Director of Dance at Washington College in Chestertown taught a Composition workshop.

February 19, 2025 – Executive Director Peter Pucci had been reaching out to many of his contacts in New York City (NYC) to see if any of his colleagues in the field had a used dance floor for sale. His old friend Greg Stuart, who is the company manager for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) looked into it and apparently they did have a used floor. Greg graciously arranged for the floor to be donated to CCF. All that was needed was for someone to pick up the floor at the Ailey warehouse in New Jersey and load it into an SUV.

Peter arrived at Queen Anne’s County High School (QACHS) from New Jersey with a used gray dance floor.

October 24, 2024 – Executive Director Peter Pucci invited his friend Nile Russell, Director of Education at the prestigious world renowned American Dance Festival (ADF) to come to Queen Anne’s County High School. Nile give the local dancers the opportunity to audition for the dance festival that is held each summer at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The local dancers ranged in age from 14 to 23. Nile taught a wonderful class that included traditional steps that were challenging and fun. He also inspired the students to do free-form improvisational exercises and to spontaneously. create their own personal movement styles they shared with each other.

On Sunday, October 6th the Mark Cascia Vineyards in Stevensville hosted the 3rd Annual Carole Cascio Fund Benefit. This year’s benefit featured the professional dance company Ballet Hispánico’s Pa’Lante Dancers from New York City. There was a lot of community support to help set up the stage for the company, including Amber Wright the Dance Teacher at KIHS who loaded CCF their dance floor and Michael Bell help arrange the transportation of the floor to the Vineyard. Shari Smigo, Director of Mid Shore Dance Academy set up portable ballet barres and black drapery backdrop that she loaded to CCF. Adrienne Kraus Latanishen, our CCF Teaching Artist set up the sound equipment and also helped with the stage set up.

April 22, 2024, students from both Queen Anne’s County High School (QACHS) and Kent Island High School (KIHS) were treated to a transformative experience as they participated in a Classical Chinese Dance Masterclass led by Rose Xinran Qi. This invaluable opportunity was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Michael Bell and Queen Annes County Public Schools (QACPS) in collaboration with the Carole Cascio Fund (CCF).

April 13, 2024 – Carole Cascio Fund (CCF) sponsored a Day of Dance performances at the Eastern Shore Arts Festival on stage at the Todd Performing Arts Center at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. CCF also sponsored a free modern dance class for the performers taught by CCF Teaching Artist Adrienne Klaus Latanishen.

March 8th, 2024 – The New York Dance Project (NYDP) arrived from New York City to present a performance at the YMCA in Centerville. The event was sponsored by the Carole Cascio Fund For Mind Movement Dance Connections and the YMCA.

February 24th, 2024 – Over 40 dancers gathered on stage at the Decker Theatre in the Gibson Center for the Arts on the campus of Washington College for the 4th Day of Dance sponsored by the Carole Cascio Fund for Mind Movement Dance Connections.

January 30, 2024 – The Carole Cascio Fund’s Teaching Artist Adrienne Klaus Latanishen was brought in to teach a special combined Hip Hop master class for Queen Anne’s County High School (QACHS) dancers with students from Centreville Middle School (CMS).

December 8th, 2023 – The Carole Cascio Fund provided an amazing opportunity for dance and theater students at Kent Island and Queen Anne’s County High Schools to experience a workshop with Far East India Dance Teachers, Deepti Mukund Navile, Gowrie Velayudhapillai & Tulsi Rughoonundun.

November 10th, 2023 – The official unveiling of the new Carole Drake Cascio Dance Studios East and West and the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Wellness and Athletics Center at CCBC Essex. The Wellness and Athletics Center ceremony preceded the unveiling with Peter Pucci and Dr. Kurtinaitis, the President of the Community College of Baltimore County. The two new Essex Campus dance studios in Carole’s name are state of the art and beautiful. The new dance studios were officially sanctioned by the National Dance Association.

November 4th, 2023 – CCF sponsored its 3rd Day of Dance at the Todd Center for the Performing Arts at Chesapeake College. Over 40 dance students from the community were able to participate in four free dance classes. Ballet, Modern Dance, Hip Hop and Partnering. The dancers that participated were from 10 schools and studios that included, the Mid Shore Dance Academy, To the Pointe Studio, Queen Anne’s County High School, Chesapeake College, Washington College, Eastern Shore Dance Studio, Step 1 Dance 2 Studio, the Baltimore School for the Arts, Northwood High School and JFK High School.

November 2nd, 2023 – CCF Teaching Artist Adrienne Kraus Latanishen taught three hip-hop classes starting at Queen Anne’s County High School with Kristen Tyler’s dance students and then moved over to Centreville Middle School to teach Choir teacher Lucas O’ Farrell’s 6th and 7th graders beginning hip-hop technique.

November 1st, 2023 – Peter Pucci was honored to receive the Energizer Bunny Award from the Queen Annes County Board of Education Superintendent for Schools, Dr. Patty Saelens and Michael Bell Supervisor of Curriculum for QACPS.

October 19-22 & 26-29 – The CCF commissioned choreographer Adrienne Kraus Latanishen to choreograph an opening dance for the fall Halloween musical, Harvest Horror: Carnival of Curiosities, Directed by Rob Thompson at Chesapeake College. Executive Director Peter Pucci and Rob Thompson, Associate Professor of Theatre Chair of Arts and Humanities are working together to bring dance to the Chesapeake College.

October 1st, 2023 – The Carole Cascio Fund celebrated its Second Annual Community Benefit at the Mark Cascia Vineyards with over 90 Friends of Carole, community members and dancers who performed. It was an exciting celebration!

August 24, 2023 – CCF Teaching Artist Adrienne Kraus Latanishen taught a movement workshop for 45 public school teachers from QAC at their Professional Development day at the invitation of Michael Bell, Supervisor for Curriculum for QAC.

April 22nd, 2023 – The Carole Cascio Fund (CCF) in collaboration with the Eastern Shore Arts Festival at Chesapeake College sponsored two free masterclasses in the Health Professionals and Athletic Center Dance Studio. The Day of Dance started early with a modern dance technique class taught by Melinda Blomquist, the Artistic Director of the Community College of Baltimore County’s CCBC Dance Company. Next up was CCF teaching artist, Adrienne Kraus Latanishen who taught a hip-hop class.

March 25, 2023 – Carole Cascio Fund Sponsors A Day of Dance on Stage at The Decker Theatre in the Gibson Center for the Arts at Washington College in Chestertown.

November 12, 2022 – Over 50 dancers gathered on stage at the Todd Performing Arts Center at Chesapeake College for a Day of Dance sponsored by the Carole Cascio Fund for Mind Movement Dance Connections.

Oct 9, 2022 – The Gathering to Celebrate Carole Cascio’s contributions to the community and to benefit her newly formed foundation went beautifully. It was a spectacular sunny fall day at the Mark Cascia Vineyards in Stevensville. Mark and Kim Cascia old friends of Carole’s were our gracious hosts. Many of Carole’s friends were there to help celebrate her legacy.

Executive Director, Peter Pucci teaches master classes a Queen Anne’s County High School and Kent Island High School to introduce dance students to the Carole Cascio Fund.

The CCF makes it possible for Queen Anne’s County High School and Kent Island High School dance students to visit and participate in a master class by Tommy Parlon at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Essex campus. Also, the students attended a performance by the CCBC Dance Company.