NDI at a Glance

National Dance Institute was founded in the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage children and motivate them toward excellence. Under the artistic direction of Ellen Weinstein and a staff of professional dancer/choreographers and musician/composers, NDI strives to reach every child, transcending barriers of language, culture, and physical challenges. Since it was founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet principal dancer Jacques d’Amboise, NDI has impacted the lives of over 2 million children. Not one child has paid a penny for these programs.

  • Each year, NDI transforms the lives of over 40,000 New York City public school students, their parents, teachers and local communities through classes, residencies and performances.
  • Through classes led by professional teaching artists, NDI works intensively with 4,000 children
    for 30 weeks each year in partner schools throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
  • NDI serves all children including those with physical and cognitive challenges, blind and deaf children, and English language learners.
  • The majority of NDI dancers come from low-income communities.
  • Among NDI dancers, approximately 36% children identify as Hispanic or Latino; 24% as Asian; 17% as African American; and 23% as Caucasian.
  • All NDI programs are offered to children free of charge.

IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM: NDI conducts a year-long program in 30 New York City public schools for children to explore the process by which movement put to music becomes dance. Our classes involve an entire grade level and take place during the school day, placing the arts on equal standing with all academics. In addition to their dance training, a curricular theme is selected each year to further inform the learning process, providing a bridge to the children’s classroom studies. The NDI dancers have the opportunity to perform for their peers and school communities in annual Mid-Year Assemblies and at End-of-Year Performances.

ADVANCED PROGRAMS:

SWAT Team (Scholarships for the Willing, Achieving and Talented): Dancers selected from the In-School program receive advanced dance instruction on Saturdays and in after school programs throughout the school year. The program culminates in NDI’s Event of the Year, a large-scale, professionally produced performance featuring all of NDI's Advanced Program dancers.

Celebration Team: Approximately 80 dancers who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment throughout their NDI training are given scholarships to join our most advanced performance troupe. These dancers perform in a variety of venues year-round, which have included Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, Juilliard, City Center, the Kennedy Center, the White House, and nationally televised events.

Irene Diamond Summer Institute: A month-long performing arts academy, this rigorous program combines a full schedule of classes in ballet, jazz, tap, ethnic dance, music (voice and orchestra) and theater. Special guest artists introduce the children to a range of artistic experiences. Each year, 100 full scholarships are awarded.

TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM: NDI Teaching Artists are professional dancers and musicians trained in NDI’s unique, award-winning pedagogy. NDI offers Two-Week Workshops in New York City that enable professional dancers and dance educators to study and experience NDI’s renowned teaching methodology. Our Master Teachers also bring NDI’s metholdology to communities throughout the US and internationally through Teacher Training Residencies. For information on NDI's residency program, contact Tracy Straus, Associate Artistic Director, tstraus@nationaldance.org.

RESIDENCIES: NDI conducts residencies—short-term intensive programs—in schools nationwide. We now offer this model to New York City schools. Residencies can be one, two, or multiple weeks and are specifically tailored to a school’s needs.

SPECIALTY PROGRAMS: NDI’s Specialty Programs bring dance to children who face unique challenges, both physical and cognitive. Throughout our history, NDI Specialty Programs have served wheelchair mobile children, visually impaired and hearing impaired children; children with Down syndrome; children with autism spectrum disorders; and children with severe emotional and behavioral issues.

AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES: After-School Classes are open to the general public, and allow children not currently affiliated with our In-School or Advanced Programs to experience first-hand the excellence of NDI. Classes include Arts Encounter for children ages 5-6; Jazz Orchestra with NDI musician Neal Kirkwood; and Tap Class with Master Teacher Toni Noblett.

TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM:
NDI Teaching Artists are professional dancers and musicians trained in NDI’s unique, award-winning pedagogy. NDI offers Two-Week Workshops in New York City that enable professional dancers and dance educators to study and experience NDI’s renowned teaching methodology. Our Master Teachers also bring NDI’s metholdology to communities throughout the US and internationally through Teacher Training Residencies.

NDI ALUMNI: THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE: The mission of NDI ALUMNI is to support NDI through fundraising and volunteer efforts, and to be a resource of encouragement and inspiration to future generations of NDI dancers. NDI ALUMNI welcomes individuals who have been inspired by their NDI experience and want to stay involved. Alumni have the opportunity to reunite with their peers at the annual Alumni Homecoming, as well as other events.

ANDI: ASSOCIATES OF NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE: is a collective of arts education programs seeded by NDI, all inspired by the work of Jacques d’Amboise. ANDI 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. More than 30,000 children are served annually by ANDI programs. Current members of ANDI include California Dance Institute; Celebrate the Beat (Colorado); Kids Excel El Paso (Texas); Minds in Motion (Virginia); Momentum (Ohio); NDI New Mexico; New Hampshire Dance Institute; North Carolina Arts in Action; Reach Out and Dance (Ohio); Trenton Education Dance Institute (New Jersey); and TrICA: Treasure Valley Institute for Children’s Arts (Idaho).

FINANCIALS: National Dance Institute has an annual operating budget of roughly $3.5 million. Currently, NDI has broad individual donor support and receives 35% of its funding through Foundations. Contributors of $50,000 and more include The Heckscher Foundation for Children; The Picower Foundation; Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; and The Starr Foundation.

Corporate sponsors include: Citigroup, Con Edison, CVS, ING, JPMorganChase and MetLife. In 2005, NDI was selected by Putumayo World Music as the charity recipient of 1% of net sales from their children’s CD, “Swing Around the World.”

AWARDS: Jacques d’Amboise was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Mr. d’Amboise and NDI have been recognized with many prestigious awards, including: the MacArthur Genius Award; The National Medal of Arts; The Mayor’s Award for Arts & Culture; The Kennedy Center Honors; The Arison Award of the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts; the Heinz Award; The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities’ Coming Up Taller Award; the James Keller Youth Award – The Christophers; The Town Hall “Friend of the Arts” Award; The Producer’s Circle Award for Public Service; People Magazine’s People First Honoree; the Paul Robeson Award for Excellence in the Field of Humanities; and The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Art and Culture of New York State. The film featuring NDI’s early days, “He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’,” won the Academy Award for best documentary in 1984, six Emmy Awards, the Peabody Award, the Golden Cine Award and the National Education Association Award for the Advancement of Learning Through Broadcasting.

RECENT PRESS: NDI has been featured on WNET/THIRTEEN’s “New York Voices,” NY1’s “One on 1 with Budd Mishkin,” Fox 5’s “Good Day New York,” “CBS Saturday Morning,” "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" and “CBS Sunday Morning.” Print coverage includes The New York Times, People Magazine, Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, New York Daily News, El Diario/La Prensa, The Hartford Courant, as well as placements in over 30 NYC community newspapers and magazines.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: NDI’s Board of Directors includes representatives from JPMorganChase, Sugar Foods Corporation, The Segal Company, and the Fresh Air Fund, as well as members from major law firms and investment banks. See full Board list.

VOLUNTEER BENEFITS: Employees of corporations and foundations, as well as individuals, have the opportunity to create a personal connection with NDI children through visits to schools or dance classes. Other volunteer opportunities include hospitality and special events.

"There are children who live each day struggling with academics, with complicated family lives, and with emotional and physical challenges. I have seen these children leave the dance floor with a renewed spirit of hope, better able to handle the problems they face because of the inner peace they derive from the beauty of dance."
- Shelley Harwayne, Educator and former District Superintendent, New York City Public Schools