Opportunity Village Clients Shined on Stage at OVation, 6th Annual Spring Performing Arts Concert
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Concert showcased a combination of music, dance and theatre performances by OVIPs
LAS VEGAS – On Thursday, May 26, Opportunity Village raised the curtain on its 6th Annual Spring Performing Arts Concert, OVation, at the Opportunity Village Ralph and Betty Engelstad Campus.
The program emceed by KTNV Channel 13 morning anchor, Beth Fisher, commenced with an OVIP (Opportunity Village Important People) sign language class signing “The Star Spangled Banner”, followed by a ballet performed to “Circle of Life” from The Lion King. The routine featuring intricate props made in Opportunity Village’s NOVA (New Opportunities in Visionary Arts) program. OVIPs in Opportunity Village’s Fine and Performing Arts Program practiced a collection of music, dance and theatre performances for months leading up to the event, in preparation to showcase their talents to the Las Vegas community at their annual, free concert. Additional evening highlights included a performance of “Starfish and Coffee” in tribute to Prince and a special vocal performance of a new song titled “My Job, My Choice” written by OVIPs Alyssa T. and Jason H. along with A Team Nevada. The songs’ lyrics advocate preserving choices in employment, home and living, and recreation.
The Fine and Performing Arts Program at Opportunity Village teaches individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities music, dance, theatre and visual arts, and is designed to increase awareness of the arts, support creative expression, and provide mentorship in technique, materials and training.
About Opportunity Village
Mission: Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people within our community with significant intellectual disabilities, to enhance their lives and the lives of their families.
Opportunity Village was founded in 1954 by seven families who were determined to give their children with disabilities the best lives possible. Now, more than 60 years later, Opportunity Village is one of the most recognized and respected organizations of its type in the United States.
Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities (who we call OVIPs), Opportunity Village serves nearly 3,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their lives more purposeful and interesting.
Opportunity Village citizens – individuals who were previously considered unemployable – work at Opportunity Village’s Employment Resource Centers and in jobs throughout the community, collectively earning wages amounting to more than $3.9 million in 2014. They are hard-working and diligent, proudly paying taxes and happily leading more fulfilling lives.
Primarily a self-funded organization, Opportunity Village generates the majority of its operational funding through its employment contracts and fundraising efforts such as the Magical Forest and Great Santa Run, saving Nevada taxpayers nearly $35 million annually.
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