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NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE’s DREAM PROJECT CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
OF INCLUSION, UNDERSTANDING, AND JOY AMONG CHILDREN WITH AND
WITHOUT DISABILITIES
DREAM Alumni Reunion in
February Is A Testament To NDI Founder Jacques d’Amboise’s Vision
to Inspire Children of All Abilities and Backgrounds through
the Performing Arts
New York, NY –
National Dance Institute (NDI), the nonprofit arts education
organization that delivers award-winning dance and music
programs to thousands of children worldwide, will host a
DREAM alumni homecoming on February 23rd in honor of the
10th anniversary of the NDI
DREAM Project (Dancers Realize Excellence
through Arts
and Movement),
an inclusive dance program that provides children with and
without disabilities the opportunity to perform together in
true partnership.
The NDI DREAM Project was co-founded by Kay Gayner, NDI’s
Artistic Director, and Pediatric Physical Therapist, Dr.
Agnes McConlogue Ferro.
Along with Aileen Barry, NDI’s Senior Director of Education
& Outreach, Gayner and Ferro developed a program that is a
model for inclusivity in NYC and nationwide, growing into an
increasingly popular training program that equips dance and
music educators as well as physical therapists with tools to
expand accessibility and inclusivity in their own
communities.
"Access to high quality arts education is every child's
birthright," said Gayner. "We welcome children with a wide
range of disabilities. If you have a body, you can dance.
The DREAM dance curriculum's magic is in the mix: partnering
children with disabilities with age-matched peers empowers
all of our dancers to maximize participation, teamwork and
creativity. In the end, DREAM inspires mutual respect and
empathy among the dancers and helps audiences understand and
redefine what dance can and should look like. Inclusion
elevates everyone."
Driven by a wholehearted embrace of inclusion in the fullest
sense, the NDI DREAM Project pairs children
with and without disabilities in partnerships that foster
long-lasting friendships, promote artistry and
collaboration, and build community through the power of the
arts.
In DREAM, every child’s contributions are necessary and
valued. Each of the dancers shares their individual talents,
ideas, and unique embodiment of the choreography – often
using wheelchairs, assistive devices (such as walkers and
gait trainers), augmentative/alternative communication
devices, and other adaptive equipment to provide
opportunities for artistic discovery, innovation, and to
enhance the ensemble’s overall success.
NDI was founded with the belief that everyone can dance. For
nearly 50 years, NDI’s fully inclusive programming in
schools has served children of all abilities, including
dancers who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing; dancers who are
blind or have low vision; dancers who are neurodiverse; and
dancers with a wide range of neurodevelopmental
disabilities. Gayner and Ferro first met in the Fall of
2000. They were collaborating on the design of an NDI
program for students who were wheelchair-users at Public
School 199 in Manhattan. From there, the seeds of DREAM were
planted.
The 10th anniversary of the NDI DREAM Project represents an
opportunity to celebrate the past decade’s transformative
dance experiences. Current DREAM enrollees will participate
in a full four-day workshop February 20-23rd, culminating in
a final performance and reunion for students and alums.
“When I started DREAM in August 2017, I felt a spotlight was
put on me — and it has forever changed my life,” said Avery
Roberts, a dancer who uses a wheelchair, and currently
serves as Community Outreach & Engagement Coordinator at
Cure CMD. “NDI is where I felt the most heard and valued. I
continue to use the lessons NDI taught me, such as standing
up for what you believe in. As Jacques said, ‘The arts open
your heart and mind to possibilities that are limitless.’
NDI is one of the few companies that allows me to feel free.
Happy 10 years to where it all started, and where I first
found my voice. Cheers to another 10 of touching many
children's hearts just like how you touched mine.”
Among the DREAM alums attending will be Harry Belafonte’s
granddaughter, Sarafina Belafonte, and grandson, Amadeus
Belafonte; they’ll be joined by many beloved dancers with
whom they’ve partnered in the past, including wheelchair
users Avery Roberts, Greta Baier, and Alexa Rodriguez.
“Participating in the DREAM project was one of the most
enlightening experiences of my life,” said Sarafina.
“Dancing with people who might require the use of a
wheelchair with such passion and skill is an endless source
of inspiration about the art and nature of movement. I’ve
been honored to share that inspiration with others.”
DREAM Project graduates, who were between 6 and 18 years old
when they first participated, are coming back 10 years later
to share their journey with new DREAMers and expand the
spirit of community and the enduring bonds forged by dance,
music, and performance among all ages. Aside from connecting
the past and present, the anniversary event is intended as a
beacon to the arts community that will shine a positive
light on the expansive array of talents that people with
disabilities must be able to contribute.
“I believe our DREAM partners learn a lot from us — and we
also learn a lot from them,” said DREAM alum Peter
Nicholson. “Through DREAM, I’ve expanded the ways I
communicate by collaborating with greater flexibility and
creativity with different people.”
Nicholson credits his DREAM partner, Jack, with helping him
become a more sensitive, aware communicator. The depth of
communication skills gained by DREAM alumni is one of the
key takeaways past participants cite. As Jack says, "DREAM
is about love — Everybody dances! Together!"
Ferro, who began dancing as a pre-teen focusing on ballet,
tap, flamenco, and jazz, danced with Radio City Music Hall’s
famed Rockettes in the mid-1980s. She was able to bridge her
love of dance with the movement science of pediatric
physical therapy. Working as a full-time physical therapist
at PS 199 on the West Side of Manhattan, Ferro began her
life-changing relationship with NDI when its programs were
introduced to her school in 1997. In 2023, Ferro completed
her Doctoral degree regarding the impact of the NDI DREAM
Project from the perspectives of the children (with and
without disabilities) and their families.
“Nothing has ever come close to watching children dance
together in an inclusive environment in front of an
audience,” Ferro said. “Even more beautiful is what happens
after they leave that dance room and go out into the world. Children
are changed, and as a result, we are changed — for the
better. DREAM has always been about much more than 'just' a
dance class. It is about inclusion done right, belonging,
and artistry that transcends expectations.”
Gayner has served as Artistic Director of NDI since 2021. As
Artistic Director, she oversees all artistic projects and
programming for NDI, mentoring NDI teaching artists, leading
NDI Advanced Teams, overseeing the NDI Collaborative for
Learning and the Arts, and directing NDI's In-School
Program, which currently serves approximately 6,500 children
in New York City schools. Prior to becoming Artistic
Director, she served as Associate Artistic Director from
2017-2021. In addition to co-founding the DREAM Project, she
served as Director of International Projects from 2011-2021,
Co-Director of DREAM from 2014 to present. She began
teaching for NDI in 2000, after having served as assistant
to Jacques d’Amboise from 1987-1990.
ABOUT NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE:
National Dance Institute (NDI) was founded in 1976 by New
York City Ballet principal dancer Jacques d’Amboise, and
leads the field of arts education with a program that has
been studied and replicated worldwide. At the root of NDI’s
methodology is the belief that the arts have a unique power
to engage children of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and
socio-economic positions, and motivate them toward
excellence in all aspects of their lives. NDI’s goal is to
support the social and emotional development of children
through active, participatory arts experiences. We celebrate
the creative, confident, and compassionate young adults who
emerge from our program with a strong sense of self and an
enduring belief in their ability to succeed. Since our
founding, NDI has impacted the lives of more than two
million children. For more information, visit NDI online at nationaldance.org,
on Facebook,
Instagram @NationalDanceInstitute; YouTube and
LinkedIn @NationalDanceInstitute.
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