350 National Dance Institute
(NDI) friends and supporters
gathered at NDI's 33rd
Annual Gala,
Storytelling Around the
World, at the
NOKIA Theater in
Times Square.
The evening was emceed by
Terrence Mann and honored
Harry Belafonte with the
2010 Artistic Honoree Award
and James D. Stern, Director
and Producer of the
documentary “Every Little
Step” and award-winning
Producer of
Hairspray and
The Producers.
NDI Alum, Jamal Wyse,
received the 2010 Mascot of
the Year Award.
The Gala starred
young dancers in NDI's
advanced programs, drawn
from 30 NYC partner public
schools, where they are
engaged in a year-long
exploration of the theme of
storytelling. This year’s
gala performances were
directed by NDI Founder
Jacques d'Amboise and
Artistic Director Ellen
Weinstein. A special
performance of “The Lion and
the Mouse” featured
Allegra Kent, Isaiah Sheffer,
and
Frank Wood with
The Cloris Line and NDI’s
young dancers. Other
performances included “Why
Dance…Because!,” “A Tale
from Egypt,”
“African Finale” in honor of
Harry Belafonte and “Why We
Tell the Story.” Terrence
Mann delighted the crowd by
singing “Your Song.”
Special guests
in attendance included Dalia
and Larry Leeds, Coco and
Arie Kopelman, Bob and Effie
Fribourg, Ann and Bob
Unterberg, Charlotte
d'Amboise, Amy Astley, Jerry
Pinkney, Robert de
Rothschild and Joanna Rose.
Ketty and
François Maisonrouge, Susan
and Donald Newhouse and
Madaleine Berley and Arnold
S. Penner were the Honorary
Gala Chairs and Lauren B.
Cramer and Demetrius Fexy
were the Gala Chairs. Gala
Co-Chairs included
Valerie T. and
Charles Diker, Edith and
Jonathan Fassberg, Kathy and
Joe Mele, Linda Singer and
Louis Klein, Jr., Helen
Stambler Neuberger and Jim
Neuberger, Anya Herz Shiva
and Dr. Andrew Shiva and
Rhana and Charles
Tabouchirani.
National Dance
Institute is a
not-for-profit organization
founded in 1976 by New York
City Ballet principal dancer
Jacques d'Amboise in the
belief that the arts have
the power to engage children
and motivate them towards
excellence. Over the past 33
years, more than 2 million
children have participated
in NDI programs B not one
has paid a penny. NDI is
currently under the artistic
leadership of Ellen
Weinstein. In June, over 200
children from NYC public
schools will perform in
NDI's 2010 Event of the
Year, an original musical
celebration of
storytelling.