Teaching Artist in Residence Program at NDI New Mexico

“Thank you the challenging and beautiful experience you cultivated for my son and the other dancers. The caliber of instruction, exposure to the real world of dance, and focus on social justice from both of the guest companies and choreographers is such a gift for everyone involved.”

Rebecca
NDI New Mexico Parent

We are thrilled to welcome Ellen Weinstein to Santa Fe in December of 2025 to set repertoire on our SWAT and Celebration Team dancers for our new End-of-Year Event, Forces of Nature. Ellen’s time with us will be integrated with training for our Teaching Artists and Musicians in collaboration with NDI’s Collaborative for Teaching and Learning, directed by Emily Meisner. Ellen’s time in New Mexico will serve not only as an opportunity for the creation of an artistic vehicle for our students, but also as an opportunity for our staff to train and grow their teaching practice through rehearsals, workshops, and feedback sessions.

Ellen Weinstein, National Dance Institute Artistic Director Emerita

Ellen Weinstein, National Dance Institute Artistic Director Emerita, began teaching and choreographing for National Dance Institute (NDI) in 1986 and served as Artistic Director from 1995 to 2021. Most recently, Ms Weinstein served as the Interim Managing Director for the Misty Copeland Foundation. She continues to serve on the Advisory Council of the Misty Copeland Foundation, as well as on the Advisory Board of the Belafonte Family Foundation, and the NDI affiliate, Kids Excel/El Paso.

During her tenure at NDI, Ms. Weinstein built upon Jacques d’Amboise’s mission to offer every child access to free participatory dance and music classes, developed and expanded NDI’s In-School Program, which currently serves over 6,500 children in New York City public schools, as well as the Associates of National Dance Institute (ANDI), a collective of arts education programs across the country that utilize NDI’s pedagogy. There are currently 12 programs thriving in the United States that together serve more than 30,000 children annually.

Ms. Weinstein’s choreography has been performed by the children of NDI at venues including Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, Kennedy Center, the White House, Lincoln Center, and other prominent venues. She developed NDI’s Artist-in-Residence program to give children the opportunity to work directly with celebrated artists and professionals in different genres of dance. The program, specifically for artists of color, enables emerging artists and choreographers to hone their craft and learn in the NDI Method working with young children as positive role models.

The NDI Collaborative for Teaching and Learning, which was developed by Ms. Weinstein, is a long-term strategic initiative of NDI to spread its pedagogy and teach more children, offering intensive professional development to dance and music teachers and dance education organizations. The program is offered in studios at National Dance Institute Center for Learning and the Arts in Harlem, New York and is one of the first to be adapted for interactive online trainings. The workshops are attended by teaching artists from across the country.

Ms. Weinstein has set works and directed residencies in major cities across the country. She has taught in Russia, India, France, Lebanon and Israel. In 2010, she led an NDI delegation to Shanghai to collaborate with renowned choreographer Dou Dou Huang and the Shanghai Children’s Palace. Prior to joining NDI, she danced professionally with the Savannah Ballet, the Garden State Ballet, and several contemporary dance companies. Ms. Weinstein served as adjunct professor in process pedagogy at the State University of New York at New Paltz. She received a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase.