NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE

IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMAT THE CORE OF NDI'S PROGRAMMING IS OUR IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM (ISP), WHICH ENGAGES THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN EACH WEEK IN GRADES PRE-K-6 AND THIS YEAR SERVED 53 PARTNER SCHOOLS IN THE NYC METRO AREA. NDI DEDICATES A TEAM OF THREE PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS--TWO TEACHER/CHOREOGRAPHERS AND A MUSICIAN/COMPOSER--TO EVERY SCHOOL TO LEAD ENTIRE GRADE LEVELS IN IMMERSIVE AND PARTICIPATORY DANCE CLASSES ACCOMPANIED BY LIVE MUSIC. ISP CLASSES ARE TAUGHT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY ALONGSIDE OUR STUDENTS' ACADEMIC STUDIES, PLACING DANCE AND MUSIC ON PAR WITH SUBJECTS LIKE MATH, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. THROUGH THE ARC OF THE NDI YEAR, OUR TEACHING ARTISTS GUIDE STUDENTS ON A JOYFULLY RIGOROUS JOURNEY IN THE ARTS. WE BEGIN WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO A BASIC DANCE AND MUSIC VOCABULARY THAT SERVES AS THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING, PROGRESS THROUGH INCREASINGLY COMPLEX MOVEMENT THAT EXPRESSES EMOTIONS AND COMMUNICATES IDEAS, AND ARRIVE AT THRILLING CHOREOGRAPHY THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE UNIQUE STRENGTHS OF EVERY CLASS. STUDENTS SHOWCASE THEIR SKILLS, LEARNING, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING EXCITING AND FULLY-PRODUCED YEAR-END ASSEMBLIES FOR THEIR PEERS, FAMILIES, AND ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. FROM CLASSES TO CULMINATING PERFORMANCES, THE ISP DEEPLY ROOTS THE ARTS INTO A SCHOOL'S CULTURE AND BUILDS VIBRANT ARTS AND LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN WHICH CHILDREN WORK HARD, DEVELOP MASTERY, CELEBRATE AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, AND ACHIEVE PUBLIC SUCCESS TOGETHER.NDI TEACHING ARTISTS INFUSE CLASSROOMS WITH EXPLORATORY, EDUCATIONAL, AND INSPIRED LEARNING BY WEAVING AN ANNUAL CURRICULAR THEME THROUGH ALL NDI CLASSES, REHEARSALS, AND PERFORMANCES. THE ANNUAL THEME IS THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ENTIRE YEAR'S ACTIVITIES AND SERVES AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR STUDENTS TO CREATE A POWERFUL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ARTS, THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AND IDENTITIES, AND THE LARGER ACADEMIC CURRICULUM--FUELING THEIR IMAGINATION, DESIRE TO LEARN, AND ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE IDEAS THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION. THE GOAL OF NDI'S PROGRAMS IS TO PREPARE CHILDREN TO GROW INTO CREATIVE, COMPASSIONATE, EMPATHIC, AND CONFIDENT ADULTS. BY HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE ARTS, WE HELP CHILDREN ACHIEVE THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL--WITH THE SELF-ESTEEM, RESILIENCE, DEDICATION, AND DRIVE THAT WILL ENSURE THEY CAN THRIVE AND SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND IN LIFE.

ADVANCED PROGRAMSNDI'S ADVANCED TEAM PROGRAMS EXTEND THE NDI EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE ISP FOR CHILDREN WHO DEMONSTRATE EXCEPTIONAL PASSION FOR DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AND THE ABILITY TO EMBRACE GREATER CHALLENGES. EACH YEAR, NDI PROVIDES FULL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DANCERS DRAWN FROM THE IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MULTI-YEAR CONTINUUM OF TRAINING, WHICH INCLUDES THE RISE TEAM (REACH FOR INSPIRATION THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP AND EXCELLENCE) FORMERLY KNOWN AS SWAT TEAM (SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE WILLING, ACHIEVING AND TALENTED), AND THE CELEBRATION TEAM, OUR ADVANCED PERFORMANCE TROUPE, BOTH OF WHICH GATHER EVERY SATURDAY FOR 35 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION. NDI'S ADVANCED TEAM PROGRAMS BRING TOGETHER CHILDREN FROM ALL CORNERS OF NEW YORK CITY WHO WORK TOGETHER AS AN ENSEMBLE, CELEBRATE EACH OTHER'S ACHIEVEMENTS, AND FORM DEEP BONDS TO ONE ANOTHER AND THE ARTS. IN THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, NDI'S ADVANCED TEAM PROGRAMS CULMINATED IN OUR ANNUAL EVENT OF THE YEAR, A LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE SERIES THAT EXPLORED OUR THE 2024-2025 ANNUAL CURRICULAR THEME, ROCK MUSIC.EVENT OF THE YEAR: EACH JUNE, NDI'S RISE TEAM, CELEBRATION TEAM, FIRST TEAM, AND DREAM PROJECT DANCERS PERFORM IN THE EVENT OF THE YEAR, A PUBLIC PERFORMANCE HELD AT NYU SKIRBALL CENTER FEATURING ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY AND MUSIC AND PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED SETS, COSTUMES, AND LIGHTING. IN JUNE OF 2025, OUR DANCERS PERFORMED IN SIX PERFORMANCES OVER THREE DAYS.THE IRENE DIAMOND SUMMER INSTITUTE: NDI'S MONTH-LONG ARTS INTENSIVE IS HELD DURING THE MONTH OF JULY AT THE NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE JAQUES D'AMBOISE CENTER FOR LEARNING & THE ARTS. APPROXIMATELY 94 CHILDREN FROM NDI'S IN-SCHOOL AND ADVANCED TEAM PROGRAMS WERE AWARDED FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND IN 2024-25. THESE DANCERS PARTICIPATED IN DANCE TECHNIQUE CLASSES, MUSIC AND DRAMA CLASSES, COMPOSITION WORKSHOPS, CHOREOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS, AND SESSIONS WITH GUEST ARTISTS. EVERY YEAR, THIS IMMERSIVE AND ENRICHING PROGRAM CHALLENGES OUR DANCERS TO GROW AS ARTISTS AND AS MEMBERS OF A TEAM. DANCERS EMERGE WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION IN A VARIETY OF DANCE AND MUSIC TECHNIQUES, INCREASED SELF-CONFIDENCE, DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS, AND SPARKS OF INSPIRATION FOR THEIR ONGOING TRAINING. THE IRENE DIAMOND SUMMER INSTITUTE CULMINATES IN CELEBRATORY SHARING FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.