Dance to You! at New Day Program

In July 2024, Dance to You! performed at New Day Program by New Beginning for Special Needs in Norwood, New Jersey! New Day Program is a nonprofit organization that provides services for individuals on the autism spectrum and promotes both independence and community. Its day program is open for young adults ages 21 and older throughout the year.

The performance began with two ballet pieces from The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. This was followed by a pointe shoe demonstration segment where Caitlin showed the audience her own pointe shoes that she had performed many times in. She taught the audience about the history of the pointe shoe and shared some fun facts before explaining the step-by-step process of how she puts on and ties her shoes. Finally, she demonstrated how she dances on pointe by doing a few steps such as an échappé and a passé for our audience.

Our dancers then performed pieces of a variety of different dance genres including various contemporary pieces and a jazz piece that was choreographed by Caitlin to the song “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga. Before the final piece, there was a short Q&A portion during which the audience was free to ask any questions they had to the dancers.

For our finale, we danced to BTS’ song “Permission to Dance." We loved performing to this song and sharing its message — that anyone can dance no matter the circumstances. At the end of the number, we taught the audience members parts of the choreography, and they were full of joy and energy. Thank you to New Day Program for this amazing opportunity!