Festival Dance and Performing Arts Association

Festival Dance and Performing Arts Association invites you join us as we continue our efforts to bring the arts to the people and the people to the arts in our area. Because of the ever increasing financial stress on arts programs of all kinds, maintaining a dance academy and attracting professional performing arts to our area is a complex and challenging task and we need your assistance to ensure that we not only provide outstanding performances, but that we support our YouthReach programs as well.

What is the Festival Dance and Performing Arts Association? (FDPA)

• A non-profit, 501(c ) (3) organization.
• An organization dedicated to performing arts and dance education.
• An organization governed by a volunteer community board.
• An organization that has been around since 1972

What is our Mission?

Bringing the arts to the people and the people to the arts guided by the core values of:

Diversity
Accessibliity
Nurturing of local talent
Community involvement and Artistic
Excellence

As you know, Festival Dance is one of the busiest non-profit arts organizations in the region providing:

• Outstanding dance instruction to over 200 students at four dance schools;
• Free professional arts programs for over 5,000 school students each year;
• Outstanding and diverse touring events in the Great Performances Series, (the only dance series between Seattle and Minneapolis);
• Special performances such as “A Christmas Carol,” “A Magical Peter Pan Christmas,” and “Carnival of the Arts,” using our own local talent;
• Missoula Children’s Theatre residencies giving local children an exciting performing experience;
• Summer workshop programs with nationally known teachers … and even more.

Our programs include:

Great Performances Series, a series of major events featuring performances by acclaimed ballet, modern dance, jazz, musical theatre and ethnic dance companies.

Festival Dance Academy, providing professional dance instruction in Moscow, Troy, Genesee, Lapwai, and Lewiston. We are the premier provider of dance education in the region.

Festival ArtReach helps to build arts programs in rural communities.

Festival YouthReach offers free performances for local schools by professional artists.

Who contributes to FDPA?

FDPA is funded by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, Foundation Northwest, the Latah County Community Foundation, the Latah County Arts and Culture Committee, and the Western States Arts Federation, in addition to other community organizations. While these are some impressive groups, the funding we receive doesn’t allow us to do all that we do. We must get additional funding from individuals to continue to survive.

More about us:

• We are valuable to our communities!
• Not only do we provide educational opportunities for children and adults in Moscow, Lapwai, Lewiston, Troy, & Genesee, we provide the University communities with outstanding professional performances that would not otherwise be available.
• This includes leading ballet companies like St. Petersburg Ballet, culturally diverse programs like Dances of China, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, American Indian Dance Theatre, and this fall, Ragamala - Dances of India.
• Over 5000 students each year are bused to Beasley to see special YouthReach programs by professional companies.
• For many children it is the only professional performance they have ever seen.
• FD has been recognized regionally and nationally for its achievement through the many grants it receives, but
• It’s the local support that is the foundation of this arts organization and without which it cannot survive.
• Festival Dance contributes to the arts, our youth, and our quality of life.

Why should you give to Festival Dance?

Some of the best things in life aren’t free, and this includes the arts! We barely break even financially! Even with the grants we are awarded! The arts all across the nation are struggling to make ends meet. FDPA struggles to pay rents, salaries, artist fees, theatre and technical costs, (for events that would not normally be here if it was for profit because it’s not profitable.) publicity, insurance, printing etc., while still keeping ticket prices for those events and class fees affordable, and offering free arts programs to all the schools in the region. Each year we turn to people like you who care about the arts, our youth and the quality of life to help us cover the income gap with your generous donations.

If you believe that performing arts are important and vital to enhancing the quality of life of residents in our region, please send us your generous contribution. In order to achieve our fund-raising goal this year, it is imperative that our supporters step forward with vigor.

We appreciate you and your support!

Cindy Barnhart
Executive Director

Festival Youthreach provides arts performances to 5,000 students in an 80 mile radius. When we touch the lives of our youth through the performing arts, we broaden the minds of our young people, teach them about beauty, and give them an experience of the diverse expression of dance.

Some children from rural communities that are bused in to see a professional performance would never have the opportunity to see a professional ballet in their lifetime. For many, it is the only professional performance they will ever experience. Festival Dance believes this experience develops a personal connection to the arts that can create a lifelong interest, enriching the lives of youth in our area.

Here's what others have to say:

“It was a beautiful visual and musical experience my students would rarely get a chance to see.”
Charlotte Carpenter - Juliaetta Elementary School

Each year Festival Dance shares the enrichment and enjoyment of experiencing professional dance and music productions to over 5,000 school students through the Festival Youthreach Program.

“As a teacher I look forward top this every year. It is very exciting to see how positively it affects the kids.”
Lorie Flakus - Troy Elementary School

Students from throughout the Palouse and Valley regions are bused to special performances by visiting professional companies. When possible the performers visit schools and give workshops for local students.

“Please continue to provide us with such a great exposure to the arts. We appreciate your programs very much.”
Rosalie Harms - Franklin Elementary School

Festival Dance also provides a residency of the Missoula Children’s Theater. These residences give over 100 local children a chance to perform and participate in a live musical theater production. Through the Missoula Children’s Theater, Festival Dance also provides free drama workshops to over 400 local elementary students.

“The diversity of individuals, music and dance forms increases student understanding of others, helps them relate to music and dance as a common language for all, and reminds them that we are more alike than different.”
Caroline Bitterwolf - West Park School

And finally, Festival Dance brings dance to the school with “Dance Outs” by Festival Dance Academy students and through Discover Dance! – a semester long program which brings professional dance instruction to the public schools.

“We love attending the Festival Dance performances. Keep doing what you’re doing!!”
Linda Sterk – Renaissance Charter School