Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/94837
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN REASON (CARRASCO-ZANINI); LORI TINGEY (RIBBON OF LIFE)R SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY Dancers from around the Strip perform at Ribbon of Life to raise money for Golden Rainbow. a dance to remember GOLDEN RAINBOW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEA CARRASCO-ZANINI BRINGS HOLIDAY CHEER TO HIV- POSITIVE LOCALS AND WORKS TO ENSURE THEY HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. AS TOLD TO JOANNA HAUGEN "I started dancing when I was three, and I always knew I wanted to be a dancer. I loved it. I grew up in Las Vegas and went to a studio called Rainbow School of Dance. When I was 11 or 12 years old, we got a new dance teacher, and I remember him so fondly because he was the one who put us on pointe. He took another girl and me to Los Angeles to experience the bigger world of dance with people who were older than us and who had these awesome instructors, so we could see what was beyond our little studio. I was at our dance studio five days a week and all day on Saturdays, and that trip really elevated my interest to the next level. 72 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM Lea Carrasco-Zanini My dance teacher was a really caring per- son. He taught us so much about discipline and character and was so full of life. And he just loved, loved, loved us kids. I was 16 when he passed away. He was probably in his late 20s, so young. He got pneumonia and passed away so quickly, and we heard through the parents that he had been HIV positive. I couldn't believe he was gone after all those years together. At the viewing, all of the kids were there, the really young kids lined up next to him, doing ballet in his honor. That was my introduction to HIV. When I attended high school at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Golden Rainbow rehearsed its big fundraiser, Ribbon of Life, in the school's large theater, so I've been familiar with the organization since I was a teenager. I continued dancing after my teacher's death, of course, and went on to dance in Jubilee! at Bally's for about three years. While I was in Jubilee! I volunteered at fundraisers supporting Golden Rainbow by dressing up as a showgirl and selling raffle tickets. I began working as an assistant to the director at Golden Rainbow in 2005. There is a circle of life between Golden Rainbow and entertainers, since the organization has its roots in the industry. It started when a bunch of entertainers decided to put on a show to raise money for supportive services for people living with HIV/ AIDS, after an entertainer here in Las Vegas died. His family was so continued on page 74