Our Approach
Pre-professional dance training built on rigor, sustained over years, and accessible by structural design — not by exception.
The Ngoma School is currently on pause as we restructure for its next chapter. The pedagogical approach described here defines what the program returns to. Learn more about the pause and join our relaunch list →
Dancers, ages 5 to 18
The Ngoma School recruits dancers across the developmental arc — from creative-movement foundations in early childhood through pre-professional preparation in the late-teen years.
Creative movement, body alignment, ballet fundamentals, and musicality — taught in a structured, joyful, age-appropriate environment.
Three-level pre-professional training across ballet, modern, jazz, and hip-hop technique with electives in African Diaspora forms. Direct connection to Dissonance Dance Theatre.
1–4 week summer programs at 8 hours per day. Pre-professional, immersive, and concert-track focused.
Structural Equity
The Ngoma School has awarded approximately $80,000 annually in scholarships and financial assistance since its founding. That number is not a marketing figure; it is a structural commitment that shapes the program's budget, enrollment policies, and pedagogical decisions.
Tuition assistance, sliding-scale support, DC dance student access, and military family discounts have been permanent features of the program rather than periodic offerings. The result is a dancer pipeline that reflects the actual artistic talent in the Washington, DC region, not the families who can pay full price.
This is structural equity — not charity, and not accommodation. The distinction matters in how we describe the work, how we recruit, and how we partner with funders.
- Financial HardshipTuition support for families experiencing financial constraint.
- ScholarshipMerit-based recognition for advancing dancers.
- DC Dance StudentTuition reduction for DC residents committed to concert dance.
- Military DiscountDiscount for active-duty, reserve, and veteran families.
Sibling discounts applied in-house when applicable. Inquire confidentially: info@ngcfddt.org
Years, not seasons
The Ngoma School pedagogy assumes long-tenure dancer development. Students typically remain in the program for 2 to 10 years — long enough to build the technique, artistry, and self-knowledge that distinguish pre-professional preparation from recreational dance.
Technical fundamentals across ballet, modern, and jazz. Studio etiquette. Performance basics.
Technical depth. Choreographic literacy. Repertoire exposure. First professional-track performance opportunities.
Audition preparation. College and conservatory pathways. Direct exposure to Dissonance Dance Theatre and partner companies.
What We Teach
Pre-professional concert dance instruction rooted in African Diaspora traditions. Curriculum reviewed annually by Faculty and Director Shawn Short, MFA.
Technique, variation, pas de deux, conditioning.
Horton, Graham, Limón traditions; contemporary technique.
American jazz traditions; contemporary jazz; theater jazz.
Technique, choreography, performance context.
West African, Afro-Caribbean, and Afro-modern forms as electives.
Self-care, mentorship, audition preparation, post-secondary planning.
Help us return stronger.
Every gift sustains the financial-assistance commitment that has defined The Ngoma School since 2014 — and ensures the pedagogical approach described here remains intact for relaunch.