The DIW Difference

Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) is the leading minority-led, pre-professional dance equity organization in Washington, DC. 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. We offer our students the highest level of artistic excellence, while building life-long skills and character necessary for success in the field of dance and beyond. We focus on the following pillars:

Confidence
Compassion
Empowerment
Academic Discipline
Emotional Support
Nutritional Guidance

For our work we have received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from President Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the highest honor of its kind in the United States.

Classes are purposely diverse by race and socioeconomic level—an educational opportunity for many. Though some alumni now perform with prestigious companies and on Broadway, more apply their lessons to life overall: Says Barnes, "Dance is so much about being where you’re supposed to be, on time, prepared.

The Washingtonian

The most important part of the work is giving students the skills and confidence they need to flourish. "The Dance Institute of Washington has done so much for me as a dancer and as a person," said Faith Wilson, 16. "It's lifted my spirit many times outside the studio. The humanity here is amazing. You won't find it anywhere else." Fabian Barnes' legacy lives on.

WUSA9

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