In honor of what would have been NDI’s 2020 Event of the Year this month, ndiLIVE! will highlight performances from years past.

The Event of the Year is a joyful celebration of music and dance starring 200 children from NDI’s partner schools in NYC. Join us for this opportunity to learn some of our favorite pieces from the NDI repertoire.

National Dance Institute thanks First Republic for its support of this week’s programming.

 

“Drum Speaks” (All ages)

4 PM EDT • Monday, June 15 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
NDI Teaching Artist Jessi Colón teaches movement from Júlio T. Leitão’s (Artistic Director, Batoto Yetu) choreography for NDI from 1996. Accompanying Jessi is NDI Associate Music Director Yakir Ben-Hur and NDI Musician Tony Allen. Included in the video is a performance of “Drum Speaks” from the 2016 Event of the Year, Words with Wings: The Power of Poetry choreographed by Júlio T. Leitão and Bianca Johnson (NDI Teaching Artist) and danced by NDI’s Celebration Team and featuring Roderick Jackson on the djembe. Join Jessi for some incredible choreography!

DREAM Project@Home Presents “Route 66” (All ages & all abilities)

4 pm EDT • Tuesday, June 16 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
To view with closed captioning, please watch on YouTube.
DREAM Project@Home this week brings back a joyful and collaborative dance by the NDI DREAM dancers (Dancers Realize Excellence through Arts and Movement). “Route 66,” choreographed by Kay Gayner, was performed at NDI’s gala in 2017. To introduce the performance is Kay Gayner (NDI Associate Artistic Director) and Agnes McConlogue Ferro (Board Certified Pediatric Physical Therapist) who talk about how to create choreography for children with and without disabilities. Class resumes next week. Get your kicks on Route 66!

Warm-Up Wednesdays! (All ages)

8 am EDT • Wednesday, June 17 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Start your day with joy and some extra flair with NDI Teaching Artist Angel Reed! Angel leads a warm-up combining NDI’s high-energy movement and the musical rhythms of a Latin shuffle played by NDI Musician Seiko Akita.

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T” (All ages)

4 pm EDT • Wednesday, June 17 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Join NDI Teaching Artist Arthur Fredric for a fun choreography workshop of “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” a dance choreographed by NDI Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein. Accompanying Arthur is NDI Music Director Jerry Korman. Originally written by Otis Redding and sung by Aretha Franklin, the music and message in “Respect” are timeless. The featured performance is by the children of NDI from the 2019 Event of the Year, Voices of Change.

“Another Star” (All ages)

4 pm EDT • Thursday, June 18 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Choreographed by NDI Teaching Artist Dufftin Garcia, “Another Star” was performed by the children of NDI at the 2012 Event of the Year, Inner Visions: A Celebration of Stevie Wonder. The dance has groove and hip hop inspired movement. For this class Dufftin shares some of his favorite steps with you! Accompanying Dufftin is NDI Associate Music Director Yakir Ben-Hur.

“Dancing in the Street” and “Change is Gonna Come” (All ages)

4 pm EDT • Friday, June 19 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
NDI Teaching Artist and 2020 Event of the Year Director Bianca Johnson shares some background and inspiration on two dances she choreographed for the Event of the Year performances. One is “Dancing in the Street,” which would have premiered at the 2020 Event of the Year, Listen to My Melody. The other is “Change is Gonna Come,” danced by Charles Etuk and sung by Greg Stamper in the 2017 Event of the Year, Harlem Night Song. Resonant, moving, and important–these dances will close out our Event of the Year week.

 

About NDI: National Dance Institute (NDI) is a non-profit arts education organization founded in 1976 by ballet star Jacques d’Amboise. Through school partnerships, after-school classes, public performances, and teaching artist trainings, NDI uses dance as a catalyst to engage children and motivate them toward excellence both in school and in life. www.nationaldance.org