Dance – The Next Generation

Dance – The Next Generation (DNG), The Sarasota Ballet’s pioneering community engagement program, provides underserved children in Sarasota and Manatee Counties the opportunity to study dance tuition-free if they are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Operating since 1991, Dance – The Next Generation (DNG) immerses students in grades 3–12 in an inclusive, diverse, and well-rounded after-school program that combines quality dance training with academic support, mentoring, and enrichment opportunities. Serving 150 students each year, DNG is more than a dance program—it is a program designed to nurture the whole child.

DNG’s Mission

To nurture and enrich underserved students through quality dance education while supporting academic growth leading to high school graduation.

DNG Program Goals

To provide a progressive dance education to foster a long-term appreciation for dance and the arts.
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

In 1991, Jean Weidner Goldstein, founder of The Sarasota ballet, established Dance – The Next Generation to directly impact Sarasota’s local community. By breaking down financial barriers and providing a supportive environment, DNG not only offers a positive and transformative experience for all participants but also makes a lasting impact on children often underrepresented in classical dance.

Through Ballet-provided transportation, elementary and select middle school students travel directly from their schools to The Sarasota Ballet’s Tallevast Studios. There, All Faiths Food Bank offers healthy snacks, and DNG staff deliver academic support in classrooms and a computer lab designed for learning. Throughout their time in the program, students benefit from enrichment opportunities such as dance history, cultural field trips, and mentoring, along with college and career planning through partnerships with Take Stock in Children, PLANit Sarasota, and the Education Foundation of Sarasota.

For every DNG student, The Sarasota Ballet funds a complete 10-year dance education, including tuition, dance attire and shoes, transportation, performance costs, field trips, and related activities. Across their 10 years in the program, DNG students receive dance training across a variety of techniques, including ballet as well as jazz, contemporary, Latin, modern, hip hop, musical theater, African, and choreography.

The DNG Difference: Guiding Students Through Mentorship, Academics, and Graduation

After graduating from high school and completing DNG’s 10-year program, students who meet academic criteria may apply for the DNG Scholarship, offered through State College of Florida or special collegiate funding through the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.

At DNG we focus on academic excellence for students. Beginning in elementary school, students prioritize cultivating strong academic foundations. In middle school, they gain access to on-site collegiate and career planning workshops and in-school mentoring through Take Stock in Children Sarasota. By high school, students benefit from individualized college and career planning along with on-site mentoring provided by PLANit Sarasota and the Education Foundation of Sarasota.