Nov 12, 2023 | The Sante Fe New Mexican | By Russell Baker
The first time I stood in front of a group of elementary school students in Chimayó, I didn’t yet understand how the arts could support a community.
I came to New Mexico from a career dancing in the Kansas City Ballet. I had participated in NDI New Mexico’s Teaching Excellence Teacher Training Workshop and now found myself trying to remember the techniques to engage a class of 30 fourth graders in the cafeteria-gym.
What I saw before me was a group of students who were somewhat intrigued and partially skeptical of the person standing before them. But the energy of the music by our pianist Bert Dalton amplified the energy of my voice and movements until we were all dancing with focus, intensity and joy. I could see that the students were having fun and working hard. And as we moved in unison, I could feel us coming together as a group.
We danced together once a week for the entire school year, working towards our blockbuster end-of-year event: Five-hundred children from across the Española and Pojoaque Valleys danced before a standing-room-only crowd of their peers and families. The packed house in the gym-turned-theater cheered. When I said to an audience member, “I feel like the whole town is here,” they responded, “We are.”
This year, NDI New Mexico is celebrating 30 years of teaching children excellence. I have been fortunate to be part of that experience for the past 21 years as a teacher, artistic director and now executive director. My life has been transformed through the experience of teaching children and bringing the community together to celebrate their achievements.
I learned about community as I have witnessed public school teachers dance alongside their students and go the extra mile to encourage them to try their best. Watched parents support their children by committing to Saturday rehearsal schedules and bringing their entire families to the performances. Observed donors cheer and support young people in their growth and development. Seen government partners prioritize opportunities for young people to participate in programs that support their wellbeing and connection to the community. And viewed children, every day, make friends and dance their way to discovering their potential, self-worth and personal identities.
Since its inception, NDI New Mexico has served more than 150,000 children across the state. We focus on youth wellness and achievement by providing highly engaging programs that combine performing arts, exercise and youth development to support young people at a critical time in their lives. We teach the Core Four — work hard, do your best, never give up and be healthy — and we bring that message alongside activities that also support a child’s social-emotional learning and community engagement. By belonging to something positive and constructive, and building self-confidence and skills, children have a better chance of navigating through the challenges of growing up, can succeed in school and can envision a positive future for themselves.
NDI New Mexico has grown in depth and breadth over three decades and now teaches children ages 3 to 18 in programs that inspire them to be their best. And we have dreams to do more. We recently unveiled a five-year strategic plan with goals to both deepen and widen our impact. To achieve this, we will strengthen existing partnerships in the community and build new ones. We are inspired by this work and are currently creating a new end-of-year event titled Dream Big! I hope you will join us to celebrate the past three decades and be a part of the community to inspire future generations of New Mexico’s children. Let’s do it together.