Dance NOW!’s Educational Outreach has reached over 60,000 students since its inception.
The Dance NOW! Educational programs are guided by Artistic Directors Salterini and Baumgarten. With over 60 combined years of teaching experience, the two have international reputations as educators across three continents. Both directors continue to teach at public and private institutions around the world and have worked with organizations including the Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp, the Joffrey Ballet School of New York, Florida International University, Mostra Dança, Sao Paolo, the Cincinnati Conservatory, Mercyhurst University, New world School of the Arts and the National High School Dance Festival and others; Baumgarten is a K-12 State of Florida Certified Teacher since 2000 and Salterini sits on the Board of the Florida Dance Education Organization.
Dance NOW!’s long standing commitment to Arts Education has reached over 60,000 children in the past 25 years through a variety of programs including its Dance in Public Schools residencies with the support of the Miami-Dade County Deparment of Cultural Affairs and the Children’s Trust and performances at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex as part of the Miami-Dade County Public School’s Cultural Passport program. The Dance NOW! World Dance Summer Intensive, supported by the Little Haiti Cultural Complex/City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department and the Foundation for New Education Initiatives, offers classes in classical and folkloric dance, collaborating with resident companies at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex; 95% of the students receive scholarships. In 2019, Dance NOW!'s apprenticeship transformed into the Dance NOW! Youth Ensemble – a partnership with Miami Arts Charter Dance Department under the Direction of Diana Ford. This program provides mentoring, performance and scholarship opportunities for highly talented youth; past members have continued their dance education at prestigious institutions such as the AILEY/Fordham program, New World School of the Arts, SUNY Purchase and the Boston Conservatory and are now working professionally with organizations such as Nai Ni Chen, Jennifer Muller/the Works, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico 2, Buglisi Dance, Holland America and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines; some have even returned to Miami dance with the company.