Our Team

Jacques d’Amboise

Recognized as one of the finest classical dancers of our time, Jacques d’Amboise founded the National Dance Institute in 1976, while he was still a principal at the New York City Ballet. He believed the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate individuals towards excellence. His nonprofit now serves as a model program that exposes thousands of school children to the magic and discipline of dance.

His contributions to the field of arts education have earned him numerous awards and honors including: the Mayor’s Award for Arts & Culture (2004); People First honoree from People Magazine (2002); The Arison Award (2002); The Heinz Award (2001); a Dance Magazine Award (1999); the NCEA St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award (1996); the Kennedy Center Honors (1995); The National Caring Award from the Caring Institute (1995); the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1993); a 1990 MacArthur Fellowship; the Capezio Award (1990); the first annual Producer’s Circle Award for public service (1989); the distinguished Paul Robeson Award for excellence in the field of the humanities (1988); the Nancy Hank Fellowship from Duke University; and the Sterling Merrill Fellowship, Salt Lake City, Utah.

“He Makes Me Feel Like Dancing”, a 1984 PBS documentary film about his work with NDI, won an Academy Award, six Emmy Awards, the Peabody Award, the Golden Cine Award, and the National Education Association Award for the advancement of learning through broadcasting. Mr. d’Amboise has been the recipient of many honorary doctorates including Honorary Doctorate of the Fine Arts Award at the Juilliard School (2000). He has served as a full professor and dean of dance for two years at SUNY Purchase and 11 years as a visiting professor at the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Please contact Emily Reid, Assistant to the Founder, if you have any questions.