Dance – The Next Generation

In 1990, Jean Weidner Goldstein, founder of The Sarasota Ballet, established Dance – The Next Generation (DNG) to directly impact underserved children of the local community. Now in its 34th year, The Sarasota Ballet is excited to expand upon this program’s successes with plans to reach further into Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

DNG’s Mission

DNG provides equitable access to quality dance education by offering a comprehensive tuition-free dance program to 3 – 12 graders from underrepresented areas with eligibility for free or reduced lunch. Through diversified dance offerings, progressing enrichment activities, and ever-increasing community partnerships, DNG students receive a complete 10-year dance experience that supports education, community, and academic excellence for each student.

DNG Program Goals

To provide a progressive dance education to foster long-term appreciation for dance.
To enable students to achieve academic and personal goals while fostering skills leading to high school graduation and post-secondary success.
To enhance the research-proven behavioral and social skills gained through long-term engagement in dance education.

DNG – More than an after-school Dance Program

DNG is more than a dance program, it exists to nurture, enrich, and support the entire child. Elementary and middle school students are transported directly from their schools to our Tallevast studios via The Sarasota Ballet vans. All Faiths Food Bank assists students by providing healthy after-school snacks, and all students receive enrichment opportunities throughout the year.
The Sarasota Ballet covers the cost of a complete dance education for each DNG student including class tuition, dance attire and shoes, transportation, performance costs, field trips, and activities. Each year, approximately 150 Sarasota and Manatee County students enjoy dance training across a variety of techniques including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and Latin.
DNG also offers workshops at sites within the community, where DNG faculty travel to locations to offer dance classes.

Partnerships and college opportunities

We are fortunate to partner with some amazing organizations that provide guidance to our middle and high schoolers. With The Society, Take Stock in Children Sarasota, PLANit Sarasota, and Education Foundation of Sarasota, students in middle school and above receive access to mentoring, as well as college and career preparation.
When students complete DNG’s 10-year program and graduate from high school, those who are academically eligible may apply for a dedicated college scholarship from State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota or may receive special financial assistance from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.

The DNG Expansion

As DNG moves into its third decade of program offerings, opportunities arise to expand DNG further into Sarasota and Manatee Counties with the intent of impacting more students through the discipline, structure, and the innate inclusivity of dance.

As of Fall 2023, DNG welcomed three divisions to its program: DNG Workshops, DNG On Location, and DNG at Tallevast. These three offerings allowed the expansion of DNG programming and impact while also utilizing spaces within communities DNG has served for over 30 years. Both DNG On Location and DNG Workshops allow The Sarasota Ballet to reach further into Sarasota and well into Manatee Counties, while traditional DNG programming continues at Tallevast Studios.

DNG Workshops

Held at sites within the community where DNG Faculty and staff travel to locations providing a DNG experience including after-school snacks, free DNG t-shirts, enrichment, and classes in two dance genres.

Workshops meet for three to six sessions and culminate in an informal in-studio presentation for family and friends.