DANCE INSTITUTE
OF WASHINGTON
We develop talent and broaden horizons one child at a time.
Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) is the leading minority-led, pre-professional dance equity organization in Washington, DC. DIW supports students from underserved communities, balancing artistic excellence at the highest level while building life-long skills and confidence through compassion, empowerment, academic discipline, emotional support and nutritional guidance. Through our innovative DIW Barnes Method, the industry’s proven model, our efforts impact and inspire racial and economic equity in dance locally, nationally and across the globe.
Award-Winning Program
IN THE HEADLINES
Welcome to our family
Our equity-focused mission inspires diverse artists, teachers, students, families, partners and donors to join the DIW community.
TRAIN WITH US
Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) operates a pre-professional dance school offering world-class training in Ballet, Modern, African, Hip-Hop and other genres of dance for students ages 2.5 to 22 years-old.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Help us advance racial and economic equity in dance. Approximately 95% of our students graduate from high school, with many moving on to prestigious and renowned university programs and professional dance companies.
Eliminating Barriers
Learn how Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) empowers students and uplifts our Washington DC community by eliminating barriers to an equitable quality dance education that fosters safety and belonging.
Welcome to Our World
The DIW Difference
Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) is the leading, longstanding minority-led dance equity organization in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) Metropolitan Area. DIW has won the National Summer Learning Award (2021), the Robert Wood Johnson Sports Award (2021), and the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (2011) from President Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the highest honor of its kind in the U.S. We have repeatedly been named “One of the Best” by Catalogue for Philanthropy. DIW is an approved member of the United Way of the National Capital Area.
The DIW Barnes Method
Through our innovative DIW Barnes Method, the industry’s proven model, our efforts impact and inspire racial and economic equity in dance locally, nationally and across the globe.