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“Before his debut, Mr. d’Amboise recalled, the company’s hair stylist attempted to curl his hair to make him look more like his idea of a Greek god. “Balanchine said no!” Mr. d’Amboise said in an interview at the National Dance Institute, a dance-education organization he founded in 1976.”

"Alexa, a 13-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy, travels close to four hours round-trip to participate in D.R.E.A.M. She does so with her two siblings, her mother, an adapted van, a power wheelchair, a suctioning apparatus, and a nurse."

"It says to people in power and people in charge, people with the resources to make change, that we don't view our lives as expendable," Eden Rolle added. "And we hope they don't either."

Fear turns to joy as the students smash the balloons, raise their fists and find strength in numbers while the ominous end notes read: “an estimated 3 million American children experience gun violence every year… Gun violence is now the second leading cause of death for American children… Over 2,600 children and teens are shot and killed every year… An average of 47 children and teens are shot every day… Enough!”

“There are dancers as young as seven in the piece. And these kids are amazing, and they really are leaning on dance and movement to empower them toward expression,” said Hurwitz. “And we thought it would be a really great outlet for them to contribute to this conversation.”

"Join Harlem resident Traci Lester, new executive director of Harlem-based National Dance Institute (NDI), with host Danny Tisdale, on The Danny Tisdale Show as they discuss Lester’s journey from a former elementary school teacher to an executive director, balancing her life as a successful executive, a mom and more."