Building Stronger Communities, One Dancer at a Time
NDI's impact extends far beyond individual students to strengthen entire communities. Our program teaches children to support each other across differences of ability, background, and experience. Alumni carry these collaborative skills into their adult lives, becoming the kind of citizens who build bridges rather than erect walls.
Last year, NDI developed a study in collaboration with our teaching artists and in partnership with WolfBrown, an independent arts research consultancy. Preliminary findings from a pilot of the study, conducted with real students in NDI programs, indicate that:
Teachers consistently observe students developing critical life skills through NDI, including collaborative skills, self-control, willingness to work hard, confidence to perform, and tolerance for mistakes
NDI narrows the achievement gap between children identified by classroom teachers as “struggling” versus those seen as “thriving”
Children who participate in NDI identify a broad variety of people who can support them when working toward goals—a powerful antidote to feelings of isolation for those who have experienced trauma or anxiety
These Preliminary Findings Support What We've Always Believed—And What Our Students Have Shown Us—For 50 Years:
✓ You don't have to choose between rigor and joy
✓ Excellence does not require exclusion
✓ Every child benefits from dance & music education
✓ Arts education is community development
✓ Building confident citizens is as important as building skilled dancers
A more formal version of NDI's impact study will begin in Fall 2026 and continue through Summer 2027, with longitudinal data examining student growth across year-long residencies.
Training the Future of Dance Education
NDI's Collaborative for Teaching and Learning represents our pathway to achieving Jacques d'Amboise's vision that every child should have access to transformative dance education.
By training educators worldwide in our proven approaches, NDI multiplies its impact exponentially:
2,500+ teachers trained across 41 states and 22 countries
12 thriving Associate NDI programs in the United States serving 30,000+ children annually
8,000+ children served through our International Partners in China and Lebanon
Anticipating Societal Needs
For five decades, NDI has consistently anticipated and addressed challenges society is now recognizing as urgent:
Integrating students with disabilities before it was mandated
Developing trauma-informed practices to support children experiencing anxiety and isolation
Building inclusive excellence as an antidote to the loneliness epidemic and technology addiction
Creating belonging across difference to address bullying and social justice concerns