Dance to You! at Institute for Educational Achievement

In early August, Dance to You! had the opportunity to perform for the Institute for Educational Achievement in New Milford, New Jersey. Founded in 1995, the IEA is a private, non-profit educational program for children, adolescents, and adults with autism. Our dancers performed for an audience of adult learners who are part of the IEA’s Adult Life Skills Program as well as their Life Skills Coaches. 

When our dancers entered the stage, many of the adult learners commented on the beautiful ballet tutus and costumes that a few of the dancers were wearing! Our dancers then performed a variety of ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, and K-pop pieces. Caitlin also shared an interactive presentation about the pointe shoe with the adult learners, who enjoyed passing around and feeling the difference between a new pointe shoe and a “dead” pointe shoe, while dancers Nora and Kate G . demonstrated various ballet steps on pointe.

For our finale, our dancers performed to the song “Permission to Dance,” an anthem of the inclusivity of dance. Afterwards, the dancers taught the adult learners and Life Skills Coaches a portion of the choreography, including the sign language signs for “fun,” “dance,” and “peace.” Our dancers loved watching the adult learners express themselves with their own dance moves and seeing the joy on their faces! 

After our performance, one parent of an adult learner who attended our performance shared, “My daughter absolutely loved it! She told me all about it when she got home!” It was so special to be able to meet, dance, and spend time with the adult learners of the IEA, and we hope to return for another performance very soon!