Organizational Overview

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Joy of Motion Dance Center (JOMDC) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization. It is governed by a Board of Directors and maintains an administrative/management staff and an active, expansive Work-Study staff program. JOMDC is funded, in part, by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. As a nonprofit, JOMDC seeks funding from government agencies, private foundations, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations through our annual and ongoing Jump for Joy! campaign. For additional information on grant-funding, sponsorships, and donations, please contact JOMDC's Director of Development, Polly Thibodeau, at pthibodeau@joyofmotion.org or call 202-333-6801 ext. 13.

Joy of Motion Dance Center is dedicated to providing high quality learning and performance opportunities that reinforce the principle that “Dance Is For Everyone.”

Founded in 1976, Joy of Motion teaches and encourages people of all ages who want to integrate movement into their lives for better physical and spiritual health.

DANCE EDUCATION

Joy of Motion Dance Center offers a comprehensive program for dancers of all ages, from ages 25 months to 80+years, from the beginner to advanced dancer.

Adult Program
JOMDC offers diversified program for the adult dancer who looks to enjoy the experience of movement, to the professional level dancer interested in perfecting their craft. The adult program offers a wide selection of classes in dance education, body awareness, and conditioning.

Adult Workshops/Master Classes
Throughout the year, adult workshops and master classes by faculty and guest artists are offered to supplement the regular schedule of classes.

Adult Performance Opportunities
Performance opportunities are made available to students all year long through JOMDC's performance classes, Dance Project, and summer intensives.

Youth Program
JOMDC offers a well rounded curriculum designed to expose students to the diverse world of dance. Younger students experience the many physical, artistic, and creative skills inherent in learning dance. For older children and teens, specific technique classes teach the basics to provide the solid background need for the aspiring dancer or dance enthusiast. The Youth program also includes 7 dance companies and the award-winning Youth Dance Ensemble.

Summer Performance Dance Camp
The Summer Performance Dance Camp is a month long intensive in Jazz, Broadway Jazz, Street Jam, Tap, and Ballet. Dance Camp culminates in a performance where students perform works set by faculty members. In addition to choreography and performance students are exposed to all aspects of the theater, such as costume design, make-up, sets, lights, and other production aspects.

DanceFusion Jazz Project (Grades 9-12) - Vanessa Carmichael-Elder, Artistic Director
DanceFusion Jazz Project is Joy of Motion’s resident teen jazz company. Placement is by audition only. The company explores many jazz styles such as Blues, Classical Jazz, Modern and traditional Jazz. Students gain performance skills and have an active schedule performing for the community at nursing homes and youth centers as well as festivals and special events. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, please contact Studio Manager at Friendship Heights.

Soles of Steel (Grades 7-12) - Vikki Weinberger, Artistic Director
Soles of Steel is Joy of Motion’s resident teen tap company. Placement is by audition only. Company members work toward enhancing tap technique and vocabulary while performing in various venues as a community outreach company. Soles of Steel strives to take tap as a fun, entertaining, historical and therapeutic dance form into community nursing homes, hospitals, inner-city schools and other areas of need. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, please contact Studio Manager at Friendship Heights.

Raqs Jameel (Grades 9-12) - Adriane Whalen, Artistic Director
Raqs Jameel ("beautiful dance") is JOMDC's resident teen belly dance company, committed to expressing the divine feminine through the rich ancestral and cultural movements of Middle Eastern dance. Placement is by audition only. Students will perform throughout the Washington, D.C. area at festivals, concerts and outreach performances. Students must register into one additional belly dance class. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, please contact our Studio Manager at Bethesda..

Urban Impact (Grades 9-12) - Nikki Gambhir, Artistic Director
Urban Impact is JOMDC's resident teen hip hop company. Placement is by audition only. he focus of this company will be to put all those fun moves from class into upbeat, high-energy performance pieces that will be showcased through the year in select venues for the community. Students must also register in one additional hip hop class. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, contact our Studio Manager at Friendship Heights

Jazz Company (To be named) (Grades 6-8) - Kelly Kunst, Artistic Director
New in 2007, "The Jazz Company" (to be named), is JOMDC's resident youth jazz company. Placement is by audition only. The company explores many jazz styles such as Blues, Classical Jazz, Modern and traditional Jazz. Students gain performance skills and have an active schedule performing for the community at nursing homes and youth centers as well as festivals and special events. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, please contact Studio Manager at Friendship Heights.

Groove Elements (Grades 6-8) - Emily Eakland, Artistic Director
Groove Elements is a Joy of Motion resident youth hip hop company. Placement is by audition only. The focus of this company will be to put all those fun moves from class into upbeat, high-energy performance pieces that will be showcased through the year in select venues for the community. Students must also register in one additional hip hop class. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, contact our Studio Manager at Bethesda.

RhythmiX (Grades 4-8) - Esperonto Bean, Artistic Director
RhythmiX is a JOMDC resident youth hip hop company. Placement is by audition only. The focus of this company will be to put all those fun moves from class into upbeat, high-energy performance pieces that will be showcased through the year in select venues for the community. Students must also register in one additional hip hop class. Please note, class times and requirements may change. For additional information, contact our Studio Manager at Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Youth Dance Ensemble (Grades 1-12) - Helen Hayes, YDE Program Director
JOMDC's award-winning Youth Dance Ensemble is a program of high standards dedicated to developing committed, skilled dancers of accomplished technical ability and artistic and intellectual merit. The program looks to provide students with the tools necessary to pursue future dance endeavors and, as with all programs at Joy of Motion, to instill in each student a pride, appreciation and love for dance and themselves. Acceptance to our Youth Dance Ensemble is by audition only. If accepted, students will be placed in the appropriate level. For additional information on auditions and programs requirements, please contact Helen Hayes, YDE Program Director, at youthdanceensemble@joyofmotion.org or call 202-333-6801 ext. 17.

Youth Performance Opportunities
Performance opportunities are available through JOMDC's companies concerts in the Fall and Spring, our seasonal Open Houses, Festivals, annual Youth Spring Concert, and in the concerts of our Resident Arts Partners and Resident Companies.

DANCE COMPANIES

Resident Arts Partners
JOMDC works in conjunction with several professional dance companies to offer continual educational and performance opportunities for JOMDC students. Resident Arts Partners are independently managed and financed. Artistic directors from all Resident Arts Partners are on faculty at JOMDC

Resident and Adult Student Companies
To nurture the talents and dreams of our adult students, 3 companies have been created. These companies are owned and managed by JOMDC. Admission by audition only.

DCypher Dance - Hip Hop DCypher Dance is the JOMDC Resident Company and is a professional quality dance company.
Juli Calderon, Artistic Director

Ensemble Mumtaz - Middle Eastern Dance Ensemble Mumtaz is a JOMDC adult student company.
Laurel Victoria Gray, Artistic Director

JAZZeMOTION - Jazz Dance JAZZeMOTION is a JOMDC adult student company.
Douglas Yeuell, Artistic Director

THE JACK GUIDONE THEATER
The Jack Guidone Theater, opened in 1995, is a casual and intimate black box theater space named for one of JOMDC founding faculty members. Jack Guidone was a dancer, choreographer, teacher, designer, and mask maker. Mr. Guidone, who died in 1987, was a long time force in the D.C. arts scene. The theater space, in addition to providing a much needed performance venue for small scale productions, honors the creative spirit of Mr. Guidone, by presenting works of many new and developing dance artists. The theater space also functions as a home for most of JOMDC’s in-house productions.

For more information on renting the theater, please contact Marisha Bourgeois, JOMDC Production Manager, at mbourgeois@joyofmotion.org or call 202-33-6801 ext. 18.

OUTREACH
Project Motion, the umbrella name for JOMDC's expansive and ever-growing outreach programming, includes numerous projects such as:
        Motion Express - an in-school and after-school dance program in D.C. schools, charter schools, half-way houses, and other community venues, serves over 500 children
        Step Ahead - in conjunction with the Mayor's Youth Employment program, Step Ahead serves 50 D.C. teens
        Fine Lines - a movement and dance program for our area's mature dancers, serves over 100 seniors

JOMDC is also the region center for the national D.A.R.E. Dance America program.

STUDIO RENTALS
In addition to providing free rehearsal space for our Resident Arts Partners and Resident Companies, JOMDC makes its space accessible to numerous dance companies and artists in the region. By so doing, JOMDC has been integral in sustaining and nurturing many of the area's leading dance companies.

For more information on renting our facilities, you may contact us at bill@joyofmotion.org or (202) 399-6763.