How the National Dance Institute’s DREAM Project Creates Inclusive Dance Programming for Students With and Without Disabilities

New York City’s National Dance Institute dates back to 1976, when Jacques d’Amboise founded it during his final years as a principal with New York City Ballet. d’Amboise recognized the transformational impact dance education had on his life and wanted every child to have the same opportunities. “When he said ‘every child,’ he meant every child,” says NDI artistic director Kay Gayner, noting how the Institute’s initial programming included dancers who were blind, were deaf or hard of hearing, or used wheelchairs.