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Description of Program: The National Deaf Dance Academy (NDDA) offers dance and tumbling classes to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children between the ages of 4 to 15 on Friday afternoons at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) at Gallaudet University. The academy offers the following classes: ballet, tap, hip-hop jazz, pre-teen hip-hop and dance/tumbling for tots. History of Program: The National Deaf Dance Academy was established in 1986 by Ms. Sue Gill-Doleac, a former Gallaudet Dancer and the assistant director of the Gallaudet Dance Company since 1985. The academy runs for eight weeks in the fall and eight weeks in the spring; culminating with a spring dance recital. Currently there are forty students enrolled in the academy on the Gallaudet campus. To encourage deaf and hard of hearing children to enroll in dance classes near the NDDA dancers have performed on campus for the KDES graduates and Gallaudet's commencement. Philosophy of Program: The rationale of the National Deaf Dance Academy is to provide deaf and hard of hearing children an opportunity to learn dance and tumbling at an early age. Many deaf children are denied the opportunity to learn dance because most dance schools are not accessible to deaf students due to the fact that all instructions are only voiced. Goal of Program: To provide dance and tumbling classes to deaf, hard of hearing, hearing children and to provide teaching opportunities for the Gallaudet Dancers and other Gallaudet students who have an interest in teaching dance in order to promote the dance skills of the next generation of deaf dancers and performers. Program Director: Ms. Sue Gill-Doleac, M.A. (Staff)
Director of the National Deaf Dance Academy, Assistant Director of the Gallaudet Dance Company, and Aerobics/Dance instructor in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at Gallaudet University. Degree and Nature of Student, Faculty and Staff Contact Several of the NDDA instructors are currently Gallaudet Dancers and others are former Gallaudet Dancers who have graduated from Gallaudet University. Most of the instructors have been at the academy for five years or more. One instructor has been with the academy for eight years. There are approximately 40 children enrolled at the academy, 75% are deaf/hard of hearing, the other 25% are hearing. Most of the hearing children in the academy have deaf parents who are either a faculty or staff member at the University. Some children have been with the academy for years. One family has been coming to the academy for ten years. Funding source: This integrated program is self-supporting and is under the auspices of the Department of Physical Education and Recreation.
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