National Dance Institute (NDI) Receives $1.5 Million Grant From The Howard Gilman Foundation

NEW YORK, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- National Dance Institute (NDI), the non-profit organization that has transformed the lives of millions of public school children through the arts, has announced a $1.5 million grant from the Howard Gilman Foundation, a foundation dedicated to the support of robust, innovative and promising performing arts organizations in New York City.  NDI will name their state-of-the-art performance space at the National Dance Institute Center for Learning & the Arts in Harlem "The Howard Gilman Performance Space" in appreciation.

National Dance Institute was founded by the legendary New York City Ballet principal dancer Jacques d'Amboise in the belief that the arts, and dance and music in particular, have a unique power to engage all children and motivate them toward excellence.

"We are elated, humbled and filled with gratitude to receive this extraordinary gift from the Howard Gilman Foundation.  Howard was deeply devoted to the arts during his lifetime, and we are honored to celebrate his legacy and see his passion live on in our work," says Jacques d'Amboise. 

"We are, of course, delighted to honor the long and profound friendship between Jacques d'Amboise and Howard Gilman," said Joseph Samulski, Chairman of the Board, the Howard Gilman Foundation. "But this gift is more than just an acknowledgement of a friendship; at its core, this gift is about recognizing and celebrating the extraordinary work NDI has done to transform the lives of three generations of New York City children through dance. I speak for everyone at the Foundation when I say that we are proud to continue to support NDI's mission for future generations."

With this gift, NDI is joining an elite list of prolific cultural institutions in New York City – the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Mark Morris Dance Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center – to which the Foundation lends Howard Gilman's name. The grant to National Dance Institute will help sustain and secure NDI for generations to come.

For additional information about the Howard Gilman Foundation, please visit www.howardgilmanfoundation.org.

For additional information about National Dance Institute, please visit www.nationaldance.org. For all media inquiries, please contact Michelle McGowan at London Misher Public Relations, [email protected], (212) 759-2800.

ABOUT NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE:
National Dance Institute (NDI) was founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet principal dancer Jacques d'Amboise, and leads the field of arts education with a model program that has been studied and replicated worldwide.  Under the Artistic Direction of Ellen Weinstein, NDI uses dance and music to instill in students a love of the arts, a passion for learning and a desire to strive for his or her personal best.  At the root of NDI's methodology is the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage all children—regardless of background, ability or socio-economic status—and motivate them toward excellence.  In addition to programming in New York City, NDI has 11 associate programs in the United States as well as one in Shanghai, China.  In 2011, NDI opened the doors to the National Dance Institute Center for Learning & the Arts on 147th Street in Harlem, allowing the organization to further its mission and expand its reach. The NDI Center serves as a beacon for children, teachers and artists in the community and worldwide.  Since its founding, NDI has impacted the lives of over two million children…free of charge. 

ABOUT HOWARD GILMAN AND THE HOWARD GILMAN FOUNDATION:
Howard Gilman was the third generation of his family to run the Gilman Paper Company, the largest privately owned paper and building products company in the country. Howard's interests, however, went well beyond those of paper. In 1981, he created the Howard Gilman Foundation to support the medical, social, educational, environmental, and artistic causes that he held most dear.

Howard's impact on the arts, in particular, was stunning. From helping to fund the very first Next Wave Festival at BAM, to turning part of his Florida estate into studio space for Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris, to supporting museums like MOMA and the Met, Howard embodied his belief that artists must be nurtured and their work must be made available and accessible for all.

Upon Howard's passing in 1998, his legacy was entrusted to the Foundation, and his work was given a future. In 2014, under the guidance of new executive leadership and a dedicated Board of Trustees, the Foundation renewed its pledge to Mr. Gilman's legendary vision. Today, the Foundation honors Mr. Gilman's memory by supporting three of his most beloved disciplines—dance, music, and theatre—and dedicates its efforts to organizations that are based in his birthplace and hometown: New York City.

SOURCE National Dance Institute

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