“I’ve learned that you can make dance possible for anyone” – Dancing Dreams Teen Helper
“Just seeing them happy and doing what they love is really just a great feeling” – Dancing Dreams Teen Helper
“Getting to really know my dancer has been so heartwarming and brings a smile to my face every week.Ā  Seeing her follow the steps and interact with the other dancers is the best part of it all” – Dancing Dreams Teen Helper

Ways to Get Involved

Teen Leadership Program:

The Dancing Dreams Leadership Program is designed for highly-motivated, responsible, and passionate students between the ages of 13 and 18 who are willing to commit at least one hour of their time each week from September through May. These teen ā€œHelpersā€ are paired one-on-one with a dancer with whom they work closely at weekly class and at an Annual Spring Performance, thus helping turn our dancersā€™ dreams into reality. All Helpers are also required to attend semi-annual workshops that are designed to enhance teamwork, promote leadership skills, and facilitate critical thinking about their volunteer experience at Dancing Dreams. There are currently over 180 teen Helpers enrolled in the Leadership Program who come from many different high schools across NYC and Long Island. Our class sites are located in Bayside (Queens), Upper East Side (Manhattan), and Plainview (Long Island). Contact our Volunteer CoordinatorĀ to apply

Become a Dancing Dreams representative and a disability awareness advocate!

Even if you cannot commit to volunteering at weekly dance class, there are still many ways to get involved with Dancing Dreams! Spread awareness. Educate your community. Affect change.

Initial Steps:

  1. Identify the exact cause and why you are passionate about it.
  2. Set a specific goal.
  3. Choose your target community.
  4. Decide whether you want to host your own fundraiser, propose Dancing Dreams as a beneficiary of an existing fundraiser, or introduce Dancing Dreams as a topic for a community service club, sorority, or fraternity.
  5. Get creative and start planning! Contact ourĀ Volunteer CoordinatorĀ for more information
Ā 
Want to read firsthand experience on what it is like to be a Teen Helper for Dancing Dreams? Check out Helper Maddy’s YCTeen article on her experience volunteering with usĀ here.