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 51 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.

Collaborative for teaching & learning: the ndi collaborative for teaching & learning disseminates our acclaimed pedagogical methods, developed by founder jacques d'amboise and codified under the artistic direction of ellen weinstein, to educators and artists around the world and also ensures the consistent growth and training of ndi's own teaching staff. In response to increasing demand for ndi's professional development services, under the direction of emily meisner, the ndi collaborative now offers intensive, multi-session teaching artist trainings; standalone and topic-based professional development workshops; and customized consultancies for organizations and higher education institutions. All trainings are experiential and include joyful Dance classes, mentored teaching opportunities, stimulating group discussions, and live music. Through both in-person and remote offerings, the ndi collaborative inspires Dance educators and musicians. Participants gain valuable and practical teaching strategies that equip them to effectively engage diverse learners and to better serve their local communities.the associates of National Dance Institute (andi) is a collective of arts education programs inspired by ndi's pedagogy. Throughout our history, ndi has successfully seeded programs both nationally and internationally. Through the ndi collaborative ndi strengthens associate organizations by providing a forum for members to share best practices, maintain standards of excellence, and promote the growth of community arts education programs for children. There are currently 12 programs thriving in the united states. Andi programs serve over 30,000 children annually. Ndi provided both remote and in-person professional development, training, and consulting support to our andi organizations throughout the 2023-24 school year.international partnerships are in-depth and ongoing collaborations with arts and education organizations around the world to create programs based on the ndi method. The ndi collaborative provides oversight, ongoing teacher training, and artistic support for all staff, as well as strategies for adapting the ndi method to the values, traditions, and culture of the host country. In 2017, the lebanese center for special education approached ndi to create "Dance by cles" (dbc), with a mission to bring Dance and the arts to private and public schools in lebanon. The dbc program aims to help children with and without learning disabilities to gain discipline, self-confidence, and trust in others. In the 2023-24 school year, a team of ndi teaching artists provided remote trainings in the ndi method to lebanese dancers, educators, and musicians in support of the dbc program.

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 swat team (scholarships for the willing, achieving and talented), and the celebration team, our advanced performance troupe, both of which gather every saturday for 3-5 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 2023-2024 school year, ndi's advanced team programs culminated in our annual event of the year, a large-scale public performance series that explored our annual curricular theme, the living environment.event of the year: each june, ndi's swat 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 2024, 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 80 children from ndi's in-school and advanced team programs were awarded full scholarships to attend in 2023-24. 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.

Special projectshighlights of ndi's special projects include:the ndi dream project: in addition to ndi's fully accessible and inclusive programming in schools, ndi offers specialized programming beyond the school day for dancers with and without disabilities. Co-founded by ndi artistic director kay gayner and board-certified pediatric physical therapist dr. agnes mcconlogue ferro, the dream project (dancers realize excellence through arts & movement) is a unique program that provides children with and without disabilities the opportunity to Dance and perform together. In the dream program, children with disabilities and a group of age-matched, non-disabled peers Dance in partnership, with the goals of maximizing participation and challenging every dancer to achieve their best through teamwork, creativity, empathy, and discovery. Dream's weeklong and free "camps" are held in february and august and culminate in performances celebrating every student's unique talent and achievements. An ensemble of dream dancers also performed in ndi's annual gala and in the event of the year.jacques' art nest: conceived and originally curated and directed by jacques d'amboise, the art nest series continues under the guidance of artistic director kay gayner and features performances by professional artists, including principal dancers from new york city ballet, the brightest stars from broadway, and musicians of the highest caliber, alongside our very own ndi dancers. The series also includes panel discussions led by some of the greatest minds in education, science, history, and the arts. These programs provide our ndi dancers with the opportunity to interact with and learn from luminaries in their fields and bring a wider audience of arts supporters to the ndi center.ndi helen stambler neuberger artist-in-residence program: the helen stambler neuberger artist-in-residence program is a one-year residency designed to support the creative process of a movement-based artist from our communities. The position offers emerging or established artists an opportunity to develop their craft while working with elementary and middle school-age students. The residency grew out of National Dance Institute's commitment to cultivating varied perspectives of artistry throughout ndi programming. It is designed to bring creative exploration in Dance and music to young dancers across all of ndi's programs, to broaden the artistry of ndi teaching artists and to introduce the work of new choreographers to the ndi community. Children enrolled in ndi advanced team programs work directly with and learn from these professional artists who are luminaries in the fields of Dance and music. The impact of the residency is felt by all children participating in new york city partner schools, as all of our teaching artists interact with the artist-in-residence throughout the year. During the residency, the artist receives rehearsal space at the ndi center, performance opportunities, professional development workshops and peer dialogue. Ndi provides a fully supportive environment to be able to create and exchange ideas with other artists. Through the provision of free rehearsal space and marketing support, the artist-in-residence program culminates in a community performance in ndi's howard gilman performance space, with the goal of both introducing the ndi community to the work of the artist-in-residence and the artist-in-residence's audiences to ndi.ndi's 2023-24 helen stambler neuberger artist-in-residence was emerge125 led by artistic director tiffany rae-fisher. This harlem-based Dance company expands the reach and impact of Dance through creation, performance, and education. Through a body of expressive, athletic modern Dance work, emerge125 explores social dynamics and personal identity, illuminates and challenges systemic inequities, and inspires reflection and connection. It is a core belief of emerge125 that Dance can serve as a uniting force across differences in age, race, class, and more.