Black Tie International Magazine 
Home
 
Select your preferred language
 
 
Celebrity Philanthropy News
 
Society News
 
Save the Date 2024
 
Black Tie
International Real Estate
 
Editor-in-Chief
Joyce Brooks
 
Publisher
Gerard Mc Keon
 
Nightlife with Rose Billings
 
Dr. Judy Kuriansky
 
Meera Gandhi
 
 
Black Tie  TV
 
Impact Investment
 
Featured Foundations
 
Advertising
 
Co-Hosting Events
 
Listing Non-Profit Events
 
Black Tie China
 
Black Tie France
 
Black Tie Israel
 
Black Tie Philippines
 
New York Society
 
Palm Beach Society
 
International Society
 
Hampton Society
 
West Coast Society
 
U.S. Society
 
Philanthropy  Giving
 
Entrepreneurial & Philanthropy Awards
 
Event Resource Directory
 
Promote your Services
 
Event Talent Directory
 
Feature Your Talent
 
Antiques
Art
Beauty
Blockchain
Cars
Couture Fashion
Crowdfunding
Fine Wines
Gifts
 Health & Wellness
Interior Design
Investigative Services
Jewelry
Kids on Location
Legal Services
Luxury Yachts
Pet Services
Private Air
 Real Estate
Recommended Reading
Restaurant Reviews
Single Friendly Events
Social Announcements
Sustainable Investment
Technology
Theater/Arts
Travel
Wealth Management
 
 
Add your e-mail
 Friends
of Black Tie

 
 
Black Tie Classic
George Clooney
Princess Diana
Back Issues
More Back Issues
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

web
analytics
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Save the Date February 23, 2024
Share this page with your friends
 
 

Black Tie International Magazine:

National Dance Institute Dream Project
 

National Dance Institute
 

 

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 @NationalDanceInstituteYouTube and LinkedIn @NationalDanceInstitute.


  
gerard Mc Keon

To list an Upcoming Event
Contact: joyce@blacktiemagazine.com

Save the Date
Celebrity Philanthropy News
Society News

Black Tie Magazine TV

Promote Your Event or Business
Contact: gerard@blacktiemagazine.com

Event Resource Directory,   Promote your Services
Event Talent  Directory,  
Feature your Talent
Co-hosting events with
Black Tie Advertising

Joyce Brooks

«  Back to Home


 


 




 

 

Joyce Brooks Jewellery banner

 

Black Tie  International Philanthropy

 
Meera Gandhi
 

Featured Save the Date

 

Ackerman Institute for the Family

 

Black Tie International Realty

 
BRGY SALANG
 

Featured Foundation

 

Peace Angel Project

 
avazoo logo
Avazoo


Launch of the First
Billion Dollar Charity Raffle

 

Couture Fashion

 

Bridal Store

 

Black Tie Gift Selection

 

Black Tie Gift Selection

 

Featured Art

 
Taty
 

 Society News
 

Ocean emergency

 
Oceana
 
Black Tie Magazine Gala
 
Carnegie Hall Opening Night
 
Casirta Maria
 
Zodiac Ball
 
Eliabeth Taylor Gala
 
Texas Heart Institute
 
Womens Foundation Gala
 
Meera Ghandi
 

Pamea Anderson

 

Prince Albert Gala

 

Featured Foundations

 
chuck feeney
 
 

Search the Site

 

 

Impact Investment

 
carbon geocycle
 

Black Tie China

 
lang lang foundation
 

Black Tie Philippines

 
City in a forest
 
black tie philippines
 

Nightlife with Rose Billings

 
Met Gala
 
sara Johnson
 
debutante Ball
 
Judy Kuriansky
 
Gerard Mc Keon
 

Celebrity Philanthropy News
 

sera Vergera
 
nicole Kidnman, jennifer Aniston
 
jean shafiroff, paul mc cartney
 
princess margaret of kent
 
Al Pacino, American Icon Awards
 
clive davis
 
american hospital of paris foundation
 
french heritage society
 
lupus research alliance
 
un women for peace
 
ben kingsley
 
ceylon tea party
 
Blavk Tie Gala
 
ecosoc
 
joyce brooks
 
UN Correspondents Association
 
cardinal dolan
 
palm beach heart ball
 
vienese opera ball
 
lady in red gala
 
sanford stem cell
 
weizmann institute
 
carlos slim
 
israel 65th anniversary
 

Black Tie International Realty

 
secret paradise resort
 
 

Event Resources Directory

event resource directory
 
 


 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Copyright 2006 Black Tie Magazine. All Rights Reserved .

Privacy Policy |