CCBC alumnus Peter Pucci, who serves as the executive director of the Carole Cascio Fund for Mind Movement Dance Connections, presented a $10,000 check to the CCBC Foundation Board to establish the Carole Drake Cascio Dance Scholarship.
Carole Cascio was the founding dance program director of the CCBC Dance Company (formally known as the Dimensional Dance Media) and the first Dance department chair. Cascio inspired hundreds of dancers, and to her credit, the program now offers nationally accredited degrees in Dance. In 2018, the CCBC Dance program was officially recognized and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance. CCBC is one of only three community colleges in the country to have earned this distinction.
In recognition of Pucci’s gift, the two newly renovated dance studios at CCBC Essex, where Cascio taught for many years, will be named the Carole Drake Cascio Dance Studios East and West. The new studios will be housed in the Wellness and Athletics Center. In spring 2024, the CCBC Dance Company will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an event surrounding the naming of the dance studios and a special dance concert.
On May 12 at DeJon Vineyards, a committee of former dance alumni and friends of Cascio will host a benefit to honor her legacy. Funds raised will go toward the scholarship to help support dancers in need. For more information, contact Pam Sodano at psodano@ccbcmd.edu.