Every dance organization has its own mission, educators, students, and community. That's why no two NDI Collaborative Customized Trainings are ever the same.

Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all workshop, we partner with dance organizations to design customized professional development that reflects their goals, strengthens their educators, and supports the communities they serve. Whether you're looking for dance teacher professional development, teaching artist training, or on-site professional development for your organization, every training is built specifically for your team.

This season, we're grateful to partner with organizations across the country that are investing in their educators through Customized Trainings rooted in the NDI Method™.

An NDI Collaborative Customized Training is a professional development experience designed specifically for your organization.

Before we build a workshop, we start with a conversation. We learn about your mission, your education programs, your teaching artists, and what success looks like for your team. From there, we develop a training that aligns with your organization's goals instead of asking your educators to adapt to a standard curriculum.

Each training can focus on topics such as:

Teaching strategies rooted in the NDI Method™

• Professional development for dance educators/teaching artists
• Early childhood dance education
• Student engagement and joyful learning
• Inclusive teaching practices
• Classroom management
• Lesson planning and curriculum development
• Building confidence for new teaching artists
• Strengthening existing education programs
• Musician training for dance accompanists/musicians 

Because every organization is different, every Customized Training is different.

Our summer of Customized Trainings began with Broadway Teaching Group. Together, we created a professional development experience focused on resources to help with student-generated choreography. Teachers from across the country dove right into the improvisation and composition exercises that spark creativity in their classrooms. It was a generative and joyful afternoon! 

This August, we were proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Miami City Ballet through a two-day Customized Training for their teaching artists and musicians. While the group is small, our collaboration has grown over many years, creating space for meaningful professional development tailored to their education programs.

One of the most exciting parts of this partnership has been supporting Miami City Ballet as they incorporated live music into their outreach programming. Together, we'll continue exploring how the NDI Method™ and live accompaniment can create more energetic, engaging learning experiences for both educators and students.

This September, we'll return to the North Carolina Arts in Action (NCAIA) for another Customized Training, continuing a partnership we've built over many years.

As our collaboration has grown, we've had the opportunity to work together each year, supporting educators through sustained professional learning.

This three-day training offers a deeper dive into the NDI Method™, giving participants time to strengthen their teaching practice, explore new strategies, and build confidence in creating joyful, student-centered learning environments.

We're excited to welcome DMF Youth back to NDI this September for their annual Customized Training, continuing a partnership that's spanned more than six years. As a New York City-based after-school program with a strong foundation in hip-hop, DMF Youth returns each year to invest in the growth of its educators.

Together, we'll explore adaptable teaching strategies that support student engagement, creativity, and community building, while honoring the unique strengths of the young people and programs they serve.

This ongoing collaboration reflects our shared commitment to helping every educator create spaces where students feel confident, connected, and ready to participate.

We'll conclude this season of partnerships with BalletX and Dance eXchange through a multi-day Customized Training designed around the goals of their education team.

Together, we'll explore practical approaches that strengthen student engagement, foster joyful learning, and equip teaching artists with strategies they can immediately bring into classrooms, residencies, and community programs.

Every organization comes to us with different questions.

Some are preparing new teaching artists for the classroom. Others are refining curriculum, strengthening early childhood programming, building confidence among educators, or creating more inclusive learning environments.

Rather than prescribing one approach, we collaborate with each partner to create a professional development experience that reflects their mission, supports their educators, and builds on the strengths already within their organization.

That's what makes NDI Collaborative’s Customized Trainings different.

They aren't about delivering the same workshop to every organization. They're about creating meaningful professional development that helps educators thrive so they can create transformative experiences for every student they teach.

Is a Customized Training Right for Your Organization?

If you're an executive director, artistic director, program director, education manager, or teaching artist looking to strengthen your team, NDI Collaborative can help!

We partner with ballet companies, community arts organizations, dance studios, schools, universities, and nonprofits across the country to design customized professional development that aligns with each organization's unique goals.

Whether you're interested in a single workshop, multi-day professional development, or ongoing teaching artist training, we'll work with you to create a learning experience that meets your team where they are.

Start the Conversation

Ready to bring customized professional development to your organization?

We'd love to learn about your goals and explore how an NDI Collaborative Customized Training can support your educators, strengthen your programs, and inspire your community.

Contact NDI Collaborative to begin designing a Customized Training built specifically for your organization: ndicollaborative@nationaldance.org