50 Years Of Teaching Kids Movement at the National Dance Institute

Summary

Podcast Summary: “50 Years of Teaching Kids Movement at the National Dance Institute”

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Guest Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guests: Kay Gaynor (Artistic Director, National Dance Institute), Daniel Ulbricht (Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet & NDI Board Member)
Date: December 19, 2025

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Overview

This episode celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Dance Institute (NDI), a pioneering arts education program founded in Harlem by Jacques d’Amboise in 1976. Over five decades, NDI has brought free, high-quality dance experiences to over 6,500 children annually across New York City, focusing on inclusivity, creativity, and community. Guests Kay Gaynor and Daniel Ulbricht reflect on NDI’s enduring legacy, share memorable stories about d’Amboise’s vision, discuss the ongoing impact of arts and movement in children's lives, and invite former students, families, and supporters to join in anniversary events.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legacy of 50 Years of NDI

[02:23] Kay Gaynor:

• “Children, generations of children just being ignited and excited and energized by high quality experiences in dance.”
• Emphasis on dance and the arts as essential for every child's growth and potential.

2. The Evolution of Dance and NDI’s Expanding Role

[02:44] Daniel Ulbricht:

• Dance is about giving people a voice; NDI has evolved to offer greater access to dance, particularly to those who might not otherwise have it.
• “When you go into the schools and you are giving access to people who just don’t have that, and you’re giving it at such an impressionable age, you’re really pruning the next generation of creative thinkers.”

3. Jacques d’Amboise: A Visionary Beyond the Stage

[03:56] Kay Gaynor:

• Describes d’Amboise as “a whirling dervish of a human being” who believed all children deserve the artistic opportunities he had.
• Recounts a story: a former student still treasures a postcard he sent after a performance decades ago, exemplifying his attentive, personal approach.
• “He was a magnet and a really beautiful, challenging, demanding...excellence and really living up to your potential is a huge part of who he was.”

4. Community Reflections: Alumni and Listeners Share Their Stories

• [06:16] Paige (Brooklyn, Listener):
  • Recalls NDI’s presence when arts education funding was falling; NDI “kept all these kids’ lives...better and brought light and love.”
• [09:38] Listener Text:
  • Credits NDI and Kay Gaynor for instilling confidence and stage experience, essential in pursuing a theater career: “NDI gave me spatial confidence, professional training and experience in the stage to continue my career in theater, which I do to this Day.”
• [10:43] Sophie (Washington, D.C., Listener):
  • “NDI...really gave me a voice. Interning with Lighthouse led me to a path of education—now I teach first grade and I owe it all to NDI.”

5. The Approach: Inclusion, Confidence, and Adaptability

[12:15] Daniel Ulbricht:

• Discusses recognizing and nurturing every child’s potential: “Every teacher goes to every person in that room...somebody who’s in the back now becomes the front. It gives people a really unique way to feel a sense of importance.”
• Notes that technique is important, but “the rules sometimes get ahead of what the actual connection of what art is supposed to do.”
• Describes the transformative power of performances: “I was moved, and the audience was moved...you’re capturing...hundreds of students,” making each feel like a “principal dancer for a moment in time.”

6. Building Lifelong Community

[14:50] Kay Gaynor:

• Community is vital—friendships and bonds form among kids, parents, and caregivers.
• Describes programs like the Dream Project, which pairs children with and without disabilities: “The parents...get to let go of the role of caregiver and see their child in a whole new light.”
• “The arts are important...they knit us together as souls and as human beings in a common activity.”

7. How NDI Differs from Conservatory Training

[18:39] Daniel Ulbricht:

• Contrasts the class-driven, community-centered focus of NDI with more elite, talent-tracking institutions:
  • “What NDI does is it means everyone has talent in some way...the spirit of that person in the moment.”
  • The aim is about fostering opportunity, joy, and voice—not just technique.

8. Multigenerational and Ongoing Impact

[22:22] Oya (Long Island, Listener):

• Highlights NDI’s “tentacles all over”—in NYC schools, NYU, abroad—crediting it for influencing students, educators, and institutions.
  • “It’s infectious. It’s contagious. It’s what the world needs. Not just children, right? Adults, educators...NDI is there.”

9. 50th Anniversary and Alumni Call-Out

[23:25] Kay Gaynor:

• Announcing expanded definitions of “alumni,” inviting former students, families, and staff to reconnect:
  • “If you ever danced for NDI, or if you know somebody who danced for NDI, or if you care about the arts and believe they matter...come to the [National Dance Institute].”

[24:26] Kay Gaynor:

• Alumni can connect via nationaldance.org, specifically the Alumni Network page.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jacques d’Amboise’s legacy:
  • “He taught me how to bow...when you bow, you’re really saying thank you. And...something’s been around for 50 years...means something’s in there. There’s truth to it.” —Daniel Ulbricht [08:16]
• Impact on children:
  • “Once they have come through our doors...we are devoted to them for life. We get to know them and see them through cycles of new choreography and their imaginations being lit up.” —Kay Gaynor [10:06]
• On inclusion:
  • “Every teacher wants to see everyone beaming...the idea of designing these...that are all inclusive.” —Daniel Ulbricht [12:25]
• Intergenerational effect:
  • “NDI has tentacles all over...it’s what the world needs. Not just children, right? Adults, educators.” —Oya [22:22]
• Alumni connection:
  • “We want to claim all of you. Come to nationaldance.org, go to the alumni network page.” —Kay Gaynor [24:26]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:23] Introduction to NDI’s history and 50th anniversary
• [02:23] Kay Gaynor’s reflections on 50 years and NDI’s mission
• [03:56] The vision and personality of Jacques d’Amboise
• [06:16] Caller Paige shares early NDI memories during arts funding cuts
• [09:38] Listener text: NDI’s impact on self-confidence and theater career
• [10:43] Caller Sophie: NDI’s influence on choosing a teaching career
• [11:18] Discussion of NDI’s current focus on elementary, with some expansion
• [12:15] Daniel Ulbricht on inclusivity and supporting every child in dance
• [14:50] Community building through NDI: parents, children, caregivers
• [16:45] Parent Vicki shares the impact on her children, now alumni and teachers themselves
• [18:39] Comparison between NDI and elite conservatory dance education
• [22:22] Oya: NDI’s widespread influence across communities and generations
• [23:25] Kay Gaynor invites all “alumni” and community to join anniversary celebrations

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Additional Resources

• To reconnect, visit the NDI Alumni Network.

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Tone & Language

The conversation is heartfelt, passionate, and celebratory, filled with gratitude, pride, and hope for future generations. Both guests and callers emphasize the transformative, inclusive, and soul-enriching power of dance and the arts.

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This summary provides an accessible, detailed recap for those who haven’t listened, capturing the rich discussion, personal recollections, and the enduring ethos of the National Dance Institute on its golden jubilee.

Transcript

[Daniel Ulbricht]

WWNYC Studios is supported by AT&T. Hearing a voice can change everything. So AT&T wants everyone to gift their voice to loved ones this holiday season because that convo is a chance to say something you'll hear forever.

[Kay Gaynor]

AT&T.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Connecting changes everything.

[Tiffany Hansen]

This is all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. Coming up on the show on Monday, fear not. Allison is back and she will be talking about the new documentary cover up with director Laura Poitras. She'll also wrap up the show's go local conversation about spending money in your own community. Locavore. Locavore founder Caroline Weaver will be here to talk about some of the great places in Queens to buy gifts. But that's coming up on Monday. Let's get started right now with a golden anniversary celebration. Every year, the National Dance Institute in Harlem reaches over 6,500 children in the city through dance. This fall, NDI kicked off its 50th anniversary. It started in 1976 with the late, great New York City Ballet dancer Jacques d', Amboise, who believed that every child deserves an access to dance. His convictions and his life work became the Subject of the 1983 Oscar winning documentary about his work. He he makes me feel like dancing. And for generations, the organization has continued to send teaching artists and live musicians into public schools around the five boroughs to offer free training to students. Joining us to Talk about the NDI's 50th anniversary is its artistic director, Kay Gaynor. Kay, welcome.

[Kay Gaynor]

Thank you so much.

[Tiffany Hansen]

And also joining us is Daniel Ulbricht, the principal dancer, a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet and a member of NDI's board of directors. Daniel, welcome.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Thank you. Nice to be here.

[Tiffany Hansen]

And listeners, we'd love to hear from you. Did you participate in any of the National Dance Institute's in school programs or ones at the center in Harlem? Are you a dancer? What benefits did movement bring you in your life? You can call us, you can text us at 212-433-9692. You can also find us on all of the social medias at all of it WNYC. All right. K 50th anniversary. When you think about those 50, if I just said 50 years, what, what.

[Kay Gaynor]

Comes to mind for you children, Generations of children just being ignited and excited and energized by high quality experiences in dance. We really believe that the arts are essential for every child, for every human being to become a full human being and really understand what possibilities are available to them.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah. Daniel Dance has evolved a lot over those 50 years. Talk about how that has changed, how the culture of dance has changed.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Well, I think the whole idea about dance has always been a voice for so many, and I think with ndi, it has only evolved to give more people a voice in dance. And we see being a professional dancer, I had the benefit of studying that very seriously, very concentrated. But when you go into the schools and you are giving access to people who just don't have that, and you're giving it at such an impressionable age, you're really pruning the next generation of creative thinkers. Not only just artists, but citizen artists. You know, this has the ability to change their lives and then become, you know, such a way of communicating for themselves and teamwork and all the other wonderful things. So I think it's always been there. I think with 50 years, we have so much more to talk about, actually with it.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Kay, you served as an assistant to Jacques d' Amboise from 87 to 1990, before teaching at the National Dance Institute. So just tell us, tell us what he was like. What set him apart from the other dancers when it came to his vision about outreach and education?

[Kay Gaynor]

Jacques was a larger than life personality. He was magnanimous. He was incredibly charismatic and joyful. And he really felt that being at New York City Ballet, studying with Balanchine, he used to say all the time, you know, I was on stage and Marc Chagall made the sets and Stravinsky was in the pit and Balanchine was the choreographer. And he said, you know, truly being surrounded by artists at the height of their craft transformed how he understood himself in the world and who he could become as a human being and as an artist. And as he approached the end of his career, he genuinely wanted every child on the planet to have the same opportunities that he did. So he was, you know, he was hilarious and joyful and he was a whirling dervish of a human being and he never forgot you. I was just telling Daniel earlier today, there's a teacher. I just came from teaching at PS199, and there's a teacher at the school who was a student in the early days of ndi. And she said, you know, she was sitting next to him in a bus or standing next to him in a bus, and she leaned over and said, I was an Apple in 1985. And he said, oh, my gosh. You know, I remember that time so well. You were so beautiful. He took her name and he wrote her a postcard afterwards, and she Told me today she still has that postcard. He was like that with everybody who crossed his path, and he kept people in his orbit. And just he was like a magnet and a really beautiful, challenging, demanding, you know, excellence and really living up to your potential is a huge part of who he was.

[Tiffany Hansen]

But obviously from that story, paying attention, I mean, so much when it comes to kids is just paying attention, is paying attention to what they. What they want, what they need, what they're looking for. We're Talking about the 50th anniversary here of the National Dance Institute Institute with artistic director Kay Gaynor and Daniel Ulbricht, who is a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and a member of NDI's board of directors. Listeners, your reflections. We're looking for them about NDI, about dance. 212-433-9692. And we're going to bring Paige in Brooklyn into the conversation here. Hi, Paige.

[Paige]

Hi.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi. I'm so glad, you know, I was listening. I never do this, but I was listening, and I was so glad to hear this program brought up. And Jacques Dumbois, he was my instructor. I was at PS59. You know, it was a time where a ton of arts education was falling apart. I was saying, you know, like, the message was, drop dead, New York. And all these artists pushed into the public schools and kept all these kids lives, you know, made them better and brought light and love. And I think that's what we need right now. So I was just encouraged to call it.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Aw, thank you so much, Paige. All right, Daniel, when you hear that, what do you. What do you think?

[Daniel Ulbricht]

I mean, I just think of, you know, the dancer part of me says, what did Jacques do in his career? And then I think to myself, what does Jacques do as a legacy? And I think, as K said at the end of his career, the fact that he was able to pivot and, you know, a dancer spends a lot of time looking in front of the mirror of practice and an audience, but really, when you turn to an educator, your back is against the mirror. You're looking at who's in front of you. And so that's a very big move for somebody who is sort of having to hone every skill and be, you know, strive to this high excellence. And to see that story just reached and that person felt so important from somebody who made such an indelible mark on the dance world, and especially as a male dancer, that was something that made that possible. That just shows me that Jacques was not. Was greater than his talent. It was his heart that was greater than that. You know, to see that and to see him pour that, you know, he taught me how to bow. You go over here, you go over there. I'll never forget this. But then he could then turn and give that same gratitude and graciousness and belief that he has a performer to this next generation of students. And I don't know, you know, when you say when you bow, you're really saying thank you. And so when I hear that story, it means you're at peace when you can do that and be on the other side of it. And I think the fact that something has been around for 50 years, by the way, what's around for 50 years anymore, you know, think about, means something's in there. There's truth to it. It's been tested, it's gone through Covid, it's gone through ups and downs. And the. The pillars of what Jacques believed in are what made that still important today. And so I think that's. I just search for things that have been around for so much time, and we look at the same things. It's the core values of what they stand for. So whether it is in 1976 or coming up on 2026, the same pillars exist. And I think that's just Jacques vision to give the greatest of all art to not just students, by the way, but to artists who are active into that. He was able to make that impression on me. So that's why I joined the board. I go, how can I. How can I extend this vision and offer to be so close, to offer anything I could do to see that vision continue not just for, you know, the generations in the past, but the ones going forward. I mean, this is, this gives them something to look at a student's school day. This gives them hopefully something to look forward to and develop mentally and to think and to be creative. And by the way, there's no phone existing with this. This is them having to actually develop that teamwork and skillset. And I don't know, there's something. It seems so low tech that it is actually a human skill that I think we all need.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Kay, we have a text here. I was a dancer in the SWAT team and celebration team from the free NDI classes we got at PS 2005-2009. Kay Gaynor was my teacher. And at many points, at many points in my time there in a single mother household, NDI gave me spatial confidence, professional training and experience in the stage to continue my career in theater, which I do to this Day.

[Kay Gaynor]

That's amazing.

[Tiffany Hansen]

I'm set now to make you cry, right?

[Kay Gaynor]

I'm a little bit, yes. I'm not usually the one who cries, but that's very, very moving. They belong to us. You know, we are devoted to them for life. Once they have come through our doors, and especially those who have come to the scholarship programs on Saturdays for multiple years, we love them dearly, and we get to know them and see them through cycles of new choreography and their imaginations being lit up. And I'm so happy to hear that.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Well, let's continue. Sophie in Washington, D.C. sophie, you know.

[Kay Gaynor]

Hi.

[Tiffany Hansen]

You know, Kay.

[Kay Gaynor]

Hi, Sophie.

[Caller/Listener]

I'm 199.

[Kay Gaynor]

I was just at 199 this morning. Sophie, thank you.

[Caller/Listener]

No, it's the best. You know, ndi, I wasn't very confident before, and it really gave me a voice. And being able to also intern with Lighthouse, it brought me on a path of education. And now I teach first grade, and this is my 10th year. And I really owe that all to NDI, so thank you, Kay.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Aw, Sophie, thank you so much for that. We have a question here. I've heard NDI works with elementary school kids, but I'm a PTA president of a secondary school, grade 6 through 12. Any opportunities exist for programming in public schools for middle or high school kids?

[Kay Gaynor]

K. Right now, we primarily partner with elementary schools. We do have one program at a middle school, so it's not that we are not open to that, but we do work with middle school students, but that is primarily in the scholarship program currently.

[Tiffany Hansen]

You talked, Daniel, about how inviting all the kids into this and bringing everybody into the fold, I'll be honest. Like, that was not the. That was not the message I got as a kid. I was a little bit bigger. I didn't have really great coordination. But I really would have loved to have. Have that opportunity, I think. And so my question to you is, how do you spot those kids in the group and go, you know what? All right, I'm gonna make it my mission here to, like, bring this person into the. Into the fold.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Well, one thing that I've noticed through any of the NDI events, it's the ability to actually give each student the ability to shine. And so whether that's doing their runs and leaps or flipping the room or, you know, highlighting somebody in the back who might look quiet. I mean, that's the whole part of training educators, right? It's to make sure I think about a classroom as a room full of light bulbs. Right. And I want them all Beaming, and some flicker and some have to be replaced. But I think any teacher wants to see everyone beaming. And I think one of the things that I've seen from the performances or I've seen from what they do in the schools is that every teacher goes to every person in that room and, you know, by flipping the room, somebody who's in the back now becomes the front. And we look at that in just whether you're a line leader or you're now in the front of the room. And that gives people a really unique way to feel a sense of importance. And then, you know, you can individual and tailor that. But I think the idea of designing these exercises and dances that are all inclusive, I mean, it's so funny at the end of the day, you know, I think dancers stress over how well they stretch their knees and point their feet. Those are what we call the rules of dance. Fine. But I think we forget there's just people also performing for other people and so.

[Tiffany Hansen]

And feeling good in their body.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Yes, exactly. Exactly. And so I think the rules sometimes get ahead of what the actual connection of what art is supposed to do. And the technique is a means of how we convey that. But that doesn't include the music and the intention and the care that goes into that room. I mean, there's so much back end of that, right. A curtain goes up and we arrive there. But when you go back a few steps and you see, how did we get there? It's from these teaching methods that NDI creates in those classrooms. And then you, you know, when you see the event of the year or you see Art Nest and you see these things, all of a sudden you're, like, capturing, I don't know, hundreds of. And hundreds of students. When I saw the event of the year last year, I mean, it was an hour and a half. It was the best show I've seen. Like, hour and a half, no intermission. And I was the one who pulled out my phone, and here I'm this. I'm the artist who says you shouldn't pull out your phone in a show. I was like, out there like six times. Like, I have to catch this. And I was moved, and the audience was moved. And it's like, I think we. So as I said, we tried so hard to hit the note and stretch the knee, but how much are we really connecting? And I think when I see it through a child's eyes, you get to see. It's like that. That is so impactful, impressionable on them. And so these opportunities for Them to feel, let's call them a principal dancer for a moment in time. Is life changing for them?

[Tiffany Hansen]

Kate, I'm curious. You know, we're talking a lot about the kids here. What do you hear from parents and caregivers and.

[Kay Gaynor]

Yeah, parents care. The community. Yeah, that is the community of grownups. Yeah, that the community is the strongest part. The parents become friends with each other. The. The caregivers and guardians connect in the hal ways. And the children even, you know, I, at one point in my career did interviews with children kind of saying, what was the most memorable experience for you? Expecting them to say, you know, working with Jacques or dancing at the White House. All of them to a person said, the friends I made, who I never would have, I never would have met except for in this room and through this program. And the parents, I think, and guardians really feel that viscerally and experience that. You know, we also have programs. Sophie referred to the program at the Lighthouse. The Lighthouse, it was then called the Lighthouse for the Blind. And we currently now have a program called the Dream Project where we partner children with and without disabilities and create original choreography that highlights every child's ability. And, you know, I think the parents in that program get to sit back and be an audience and get to let go of the role of caregiver and sort of see their child in a whole new light. The children without disabilities who participate are utterly transformed by the experience of really getting to know and we call it learning your partner. And, you know, they'll never see somebody who's a wheelchair user across the street again in the same way and avoid or walk the other way. They will know, have tools, how to interact and engage with each other. And I think that's so much of what, you know, why the arts are important as a whole is it knits us together as souls and as human beings in a common activity that really is about sparking imagination and helping us understand ourselves and the world better.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Let's hear from a parent here, Vicki in Newburgh. Hi, Vicki.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi. Yeah, both of my kids were NDI kids. We were at PS 183 and they both went through SWAT and then went into Celebration and then continued on to become a teacher with NDI in New Mexico for a while. But the experience for these children is just hard to imagine. It gives them this sense of who they are, who they can be. They can be anything. They can stand tall. These are. I mean, I remember when it was announced that all the fourth grade was going to start doing ndi and my son Said what? These dance are crazy. I won't go, you know. Well, you know, the net met, of course, is that he did go and he fell in love with it, as did my daughter, then got to go to the White House and perform there and up the White House, sorry, Kennedy center that year, which I mentioned only because of what's going on with the Kennedy Center.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah, definitely. Definitely some good memories there for you, Vicki. You know, lots of happy memories. It sounds like, Daniel, you as a kid, you went to the School of American Ballet. I'm curious, because you have. Obviously that's meant for people who are. This is going to be their, you know, career path. But how would you compare the methods? Not necessarily compare, but how. What do you think about the methods at NDI that make it so special? When you compare it to something where it's very driven, it's very clearly driven for kids who are like, this is what we're going to do.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Yeah, it's a great question. I mean, I think, you know, when you look at conservatory schools, we'll call it that, you know, you're trying to find the next Joshua Bell violinist, you're trying to find the next Baryshnikov. And I think while those institutions provide the resources and the training to achieve that, I think when you look at the broader picture, you know, one person can't save arts. And I think when you look at a whole room and again, hearing from these families and hearing from the students, the community in that classroom have so much more power than one singular person. And so what I will say is like, my training, you could call elite training. Fine. I had to do a lot of it myself. You know, as a dancer, you're very driven. You know, I drew from Florida to New York and you pursue that, but it's really individual driven. And when I see, when I go into the room of an NDI room, it's class driven, it's community driven. And so when I see like a whole group take that pride in a piece again, front or back, up or down, right and left, and then they each get that. I sometimes think the elite schools automatically kind of feed like, okay, here's the top talent, here's the top talent. And what NDI does is it means everyone has talent in some way, shape or form, and they have the ability to hone that. And again, it's not a matter of like, this person doesn't know that jump when somebody is doing their flying leap across the floor. It's about the spirit of that person in that moment. And, you know, I heard a quote from one of my mentors. He said, you know, your mom and dad are gonna love you no matter what because they brought you into this world, but why not show them? I never thought this could be possible. And when I watch these kids, it's that moment I never thought that'd be possible. I think they're showing themselves and their classmates or their team or their teachers or their families. I never could see my kid that happy in that moment, just leaping. It's like, again, we grew up with all these rules, and they're really important. They create structure. And I totally. I'm a person of structure, but I think the arts allow for that one little bit of that voice to kind of come out. And if it comes across a leap, that is somebody with no care in the world for one and a half seconds, wouldn't we just die to have one and a half seconds of no, you know, flying.

[Tiffany Hansen]

A fly.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

A flight. Exactly, exactly. But that. It's just not just the. The gravitational sense, but of like, the heart sense.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah. Okay, let's bring DJ in Brooklyn into our conversation. Hi, dj.

[Kay Gaynor]

Hi.

[DJ]

I just wanted to offer appreciation of the work that NDI has done over all the length of its existence. As a young choreographer, I recruited two NDI students. Mark Weitz, who's gone on to be a stage director, and Jason Hourman, who I've lost track of, but was a cousin of Michael Jackson. And they transformed the piece that we did together, you know, which was all the rest of it was all adults. And for many years, I'm one of the people that has co produced the Dance Parade since its inception. And we'll have the 20th edition. I tried very hard to get shocked, to be grand marshal. And as someone said earlier, he is so gracious when he finally said, you know, I'm not going to be able to fit this into my life. When he was getting. Towards the end, he wrote me a very nice letter, and I knew that that was it. He was very direct with everyone and opened worlds to hundreds and thousands of kids.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Dj, thanks so much for that reflection. Another nice note from Jacques has made its way into our conversation.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

All right.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Oya. In Long Island. I hope I'm saying your name correctly. Okay.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, my gosh. You absolutely. 100.

[Kay Gaynor]

Hi. Oya.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, my gosh. I literally, I'm in Long island teaching at Cherry Lane Elementary School, and I walk, I get, you know, into the car and I hear Kay Gaynor, and I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. NDI is like, all over the place. I'm at NYU also, and pedagogy is there. I taught at NYU Study Abroad, Uganda, and the pedagogy was there. NDI has tentacles all over. And I'm so grateful to have been a student and then a teacher and then an alumni and whatever else they need me for. It's infectious. It's contagious. It's what the world needs. Not just children, right? Adults, educators. So proud. In every space that I go to, every space, NDI is there.

[Tiffany Hansen]

I love it. Thank you, Oya, for that. So as we're headed out here, Kay, the multi generational tentacles of this after 50 years must put you on kind of a high as you're headed into this anniversary.

[Kay Gaynor]

It really does. I think we are expanding our definition of what it means to be an alumni or an alumna or alumnus of NDI to include all of these families and parents and staff who have gone on to have other jobs. And anybody whose lives were impacted by ndi, we're making a big call out. We want to claim all of you. We want people to come back, and we want you to claim us again. And so we are expanding the definition this year and making categories for all of the different people. So one of the things I'm very excited about in the 50th is this idea that if you ever danced for NDI, or if you know somebody who danced for NDI, or if YOU care about the arts and believe that they matter in people's lives, you know, come to the NDI. What can I say? Nationaldance.org we have a new landing page called for the Alumni Network.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Say it again so folks know.

[Paige]

Yes.

[Kay Gaynor]

Nationaldance.org national dance.org Go to the alumni Network page.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Love it.

[Kay Gaynor]

All right, we want to hear from you.

[Tiffany Hansen]

We've been Talking about the 50th anniversary of the National Dance Institute with Kay Gaynor, the artistic director, and Daniel Ulbricht, who is a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and a member of the NDI's board of directors. Thank you both so much for your time in the conversation.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Thank you.

[Kay Gaynor]

Thank you so much.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

Happy holidays. Clorox Toilet Wand. It's all in one. Clorox Toilet Wand. It's all in one.

[Kay Gaynor]

Hey, what does all in one mean?

[Tiffany Hansen]

The Caddy, the wand, the preloaded pad.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

There's a cleaner in there, inside the pad.

[Kay Gaynor]

So Clorox Toilet Wand is all I need to clean a toilet.

[Daniel Ulbricht]

You don't need a bottle of solution.

[Caller/Listener]

To get into this Toilet Revolution Clorox.

[Paige]

Use as directed this is Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship wnyc. Org.