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 magical experience of joyful dance and music to children of all abilities.” Adding that, “Camp TV supports our mission to inspire children’s creativity through arts education and is an important part of NDI’s signature programming. This summer we will also continue to engage children through ndiLIVE! on YouTube, our Summer Institute, the NDI Dancemobile, NDI’s DREAM program and through affiliations with partner organizations including Double H Ranch.”
In the New York metro area, Camp TV airs weekdays at 10 a.m. on WLIW21; 11 a.m. on NJ PBS; and 12 p.m. on THIRTEEN. This is the second year that NDI is included in the Camp TV series which is also available on CampTV.org.
Broadway performer Zachary Noah Piser (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “Wicked”) returns as head counselor to guide campers ages 5-10 as they learn through play. To foster a sense of community, Piser kicks off each episode with a welcome song and announces the theme for the day. Kids can prepare for each program and participate based on the theme. Season 2 themes include Summer Celebration Day, Snow Day, Patterns Day, Inside Out Day, Independence Day, Celebrate Your Name Day, Sports Day, Royalty Day, Travel Day, Mismatched Shoe (and Sock!) Day, Favorite Animal Day, Ocean Day, Farm Day and more.
Piser guides campers through a variety of activities, exploring nature, math, science, the arts, movement, storytelling, writing and more. In Season 2, kids will learn to garden, beatbox, investigate a “tornado in a jar,” celebrate a panda’s first birthday, do a salad dance, and make a pattern parfait and a “mini moody me” social emotional craft. Each episode also includes a storytelling segment with a different book of the day. Activity guides will be posted on CampTV.org so families can prepare ahead of each episode.
NDI’s programming will be included in the following episodes of Camp TV.
| Episode Name | Segment Title |
| Summer Celebration Day | Salad Dance |
| Snow Day | Family Challenges |
| Celebrate Your Name Day | Yoga Dance with Calia and Todd |
| Favorite Animal Day | Animal Dance Party |
| Ocean Day | Moving and Grooving with Jessi and Ly |
| Poem in My Pocket Day | Emotions Dance with Jen Aks-Neuman |
| Black and White Day | Our Bodies with Calia and Todd |
| Favorite T-Shirt Day | Nature Explorations with Calia and Todd |
In addition to NDI, Camp TV content partners for Season 2 include America’s Test Kitchen Kids, Carnegie Hall, Children’s Museum of Acadiana, Children’s Museum of South Dakota, Children’s Museum of the Arts, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Exploratorium, GrowingGreat, Guggenheim Museum, Impossible Science, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Koo Koo Kanga Roo, Liberty Science Center, Lincoln Center, Memphis Zoo, The Museum of Modern Art, Monterey Bay Aquarium, New Victory Theater, New York Philharmonic, New York Public Library, OK Go, One Voice Children’s Choir, Playworks, San Diego Zoo, S’More Ideas, Story Pirates, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Additional content is provided by PBS’s Nature series.
Camp TV is a production of The WNET Group. The program is distributed nationally by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). Sandra Sheppard is executive producer. Melinda Toporoff is series producer and writer. Kevin Di Salvo is coordinating producer. Maria Stoian is producer.
Major funding for Camp TV is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by The Peter G. Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney Fund and the Pine Tree Foundation of New York.
About National Dance Institute (NDI)
National Dance Institute (NDI) is a non-profit arts education organization founded in 1976 by ballet star Jacques d’Amboise. Through school partnerships, after-school classes, public performances, and teaching artist trainings, NDI’s inclusive and joyful arts programming provide an environment where children celebrate cultural diversity through dance and music. Since its founding, NDI has empowered the lives of more than 2 million children.
NDI’s core programs are offered to all children free of charge via ndiLIVE!, NDI’s online learning platform available on YouTube. Additionally, NDI’s DREAM Project@Home offers movement classes tailored to children with disabilities. All classes are accompanied with upbeat live music by NDI musicians. For more information, visit NDI online at nationaldance.org, on Twitter @NationalDance, Facebook and Instagram @NationalDanceInstitute; and YouTube and LinkedIn @NationalDanceInstitute.
About The WNET Group
The WNET Group creates inspiring media content and meaningful experiences for diverse audiences nationwide. It is the community-supported home of New York’s THIRTEEN – America’s flagship PBS station – WLIW21, THIRTEEN PBSKids, WLIW World and Create; NJ PBS, New Jersey’s statewide public television network; Long Island’s only NPR station WLIW-FM; ALL ARTS, the arts and culture media provider; and newsroom NJ Spotlight News. Through these channels and streaming platforms, The WNET Group brings arts, culture, education, news, documentary, entertainment and DIY programming to more than five million viewers each month. The WNET Group’s award-winning productions include signature PBS series Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend and Amanpour and Company and trusted local news programs MetroFocus and NJ Spotlight Newswith Briana Vannozzi. Inspiring curiosity and nurturing dreams, The WNET Group’s award-winning Kids’ Media and Education team produces the PBS KIDS series Cyberchase, interactive Mission US history games, and resources for families, teachers and caregivers. A leading nonprofit public media producer for nearly 60 years, The WNET Group presents and distributes content that fosters lifelong learning, including multiplatform initiatives addressing poverty, jobs, economic opportunity, social justice, understanding and the environment. Through Passport, station members can stream new and archival programming anytime, anywhere. The WNET Group represents the best in public media. Join us.