jturner@nationaldance.org

Dear NDI Community,

It is with great enthusiasm that I write to you as National Dance Institute’s new Artistic Director. I am beyond thrilled to take on this role at an organization so devoted to changing children’s lives through the arts. During my 20-year tenure, I’ve worked closely with our beloved founder, Jacques d’Amboise, as well as Ellen Weinstein, who brilliantly served NDI as Artistic Director for 26 years. I am grateful to both of these exceptional individuals for enriching my life, and this organization, in so many ways.

Jacques built the house, Ellen turned it into a home. And it is my honor to build upon their legacy, ensuring that anyone who comes through the NDI door is met with joy and love sparked by the arts. With our superb teaching staff, NDI has developed a proven teaching methodology that uses dance and music to improve children’s critical thinking, global perspectives, and […]

We pay tribute to NDI’s founder Jacques d’Amboise who touched so many lives and made every day brighter with his exuberance, vitality and passion.

New York, NY – July 19, 2020 – National Dance Institute (nationaldance.org) today announced that its programming will be part of The WNET Group’s summer learning and exploration series Camp TV which returned for Season 2 on public television stations nationwide.  NDI teaching artists and musicians take children on a movement journey in eight episodes of Camp TV this summer.

The partnership comes on the heels of NDI’s programming in ten episodes of The WNET Group’s New York Emmy-nominated series Let’s Learn NYC!.  The educational public television program produced by The WNET Group in partnership with the New York City Department of Education (DOE) features lessons for children in 3K through second grade that supplement remote learning.

According to Ellen Weinstein, Artistic Director, National Dance Institute, “We are excited to partner for a second year with The WNET Group on Camp TV.  Through our participatory programming, NDI’s teaching artists and musicians deliver […]

A Message From NDI Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein
There are few words to describe the magnitude of loss we have felt since Jacques d’Amboise passed away on May 2. We are deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support from people around the world who were inspired by his brilliance. Thank you to everyone who has shared a memory, written a note, posted a photo, or simply taken a moment to reflect on the joy that Jacques gave to life.

This year, National Dance Institute celebrates its 45th Anniversary. As we reflect on NDI’s extraordinary achievements of inspiring children through the arts, we look ahead to the promise the future holds. We salute NDI and recognize that many exceptional individuals have made our remarkable success possible. Traci Lester, NDI’s Executive Director, has guided NDI for the past four and a half years with great skill, clarity, and dedication, especially as we navigated through the impact of an unprecedented global health crisis. Today, we announce that Traci has shared she will be stepping down from her role to pursue another professional opportunity. We are grateful for Traci’s many contributions. We wish her all the very best and we know we will continue to see her in the audience cheering on NDI. Thank you, Traci Lester.

Catch the latest news & updates in NDI’s October newsletter which features:

• NDI DREAM Project news on upcoming workshops
• The Unstoppable Mr. Fong of PS 130
• New Additions to the NDI Board of Directors
• Vote for NDI Alum on “Dancing with the Stars”
• NDI’s Star Party virtual event on Monday, Oct 19

READ MORE >>

In this edition of the NDI Connection, our newly redesigned newsletter, NDI Executive Director Traci Lester and NDI Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein affirm NDI’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Additionally, NDI announces new partnerships that bring dance to children nationwide all summer long through public television and online streaming via CampTV.org and online summer school platform through NSSI, schoolsreimagined.org. Other highlights include DREAM Project’s online classes through ndiLIVE!, a celebration of the Celebration Team’s graduating seniors, a feature on NDI Collaborative’s online workshops whose participants span the globe, a few briefings on NDI staff’s activism within the community, a  Spotify playlist of curated Brazilian music by NDI’s Artist-In-Residence Leonardo Sandoval, and more! Learn more >>

Need for Programming During Quarantine Fuels DREAM Project@Home

July 1, 2020 – New York, NY – National Dance Institute (NDI) today announced new national online programming for children with disabilities. The program, part of NDI’s renowned DREAM Project, is the first of its kind to offer a fully inclusive format that connects dancers of all abilities with one another from their homes. The DREAM (Dancers Realize Excellence through Arts and Movement) Project@Home will include Zoom classes, classes on NDI’s platform ndiLIVE! and summer workshops.

DREAM Project@Home is an extension of DREAM classes and workshops traditionally offered in person at the NDI Center. In this unique 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. The program culminates in a performance celebrating every student’s talents and […]