Students in each of our programs take part in ongoing dance instruction, which culminates in a performance for family and friends. During this time, students are exposed to many forms of dance, including hip hop, jazz, modern, and contemporary styles. They learn basic steps and practice a specially choreographed combination for their mini-performance. Some students actually get to perform for an audience of a thousand peers at the Historic Lincoln Theatre during our annual “Day of Dance” Program and/or on the basketball court in front of up to 18,000 fans during an NBA or WNBA game.

CMI Community Partners Include:
Horizons at Maret is one of 14 affiliates of the National Horizons Student Enrichment Program, based in New Canaan, Connecticut, and is the only Horizons program in the Washington, D.C. area. Horizons at Maret aims to prevent a summer decline in academic retention, foster a love of learning, bolster academic achievement, and improve school attendance.

Capitol Movement, Inc. (CMI) plays a key role in the Horizons program by introducing children to dance through classes and performances over a five-week period in the summer. CMI sponsored and taught 40 students from 3rd and 4th grade classes during the summer of 2008. Students gained confidence by mastering basic dance skills that culminated in a performance for family and friends at the Maret School.

DC Public Schools’ Out of School Time (formerly known as Aftercare For All) is supported by a Memorandum of Understanding between DC Public Schools and the Department of Human Services' Office of Early Childhood Development. DCAFA served approximately 8,000 students during the 2006-2007 school year. It provides students diverse opportunities for academic intervention, advancement, and enrichment. CMI provides free dance programming to DC’s Out of School Time students for the entire school year in order to build self-esteem, improve fitness levels, and teach self-discipline.

CMI partners with DC Parks and Recreation (thanks in part to grant monies provided by the Professional Athletes Fund) by offering free summer dance camps to participants in the DCPR Discovery Camp Program. This program allows us to reach children between the ages of 4 and 14 at recreation centers in every Ward of the District.

For the fourth year, CMI will offer Horizon dance camp participants, students from the DCPS Out of School Time program, and children who participate in DC Parks and Recreation an opportunity to view a special, free showing of The Capitol Movement Project. This annual show is a full-length performance at the Historic Lincoln Theatre featuring the choreography of well-known artists from across the country. The final dress rehearsal is now known as CMI's “Day of Dance” (DOD) because it allows us to fulfill our mission of providing "dance for all." For many of the attendees, the Day of Dance marks their first trip to the theater and their first time seeing a live dance performance and the opportunity to perform for and see their peers perform choreography learned through one of our programs. We are proud to say that the 2009 DOD marked the first year that outreach students were able to perform on stage for an audience of their peers.

The CMI Youth Programs (CMI KIDZ) develop young performers ages 7-17 who demonstrate personality, ability and a strong interest to follow basic choreography and learn dance technique. Children in these programs may participate in The Capitol Kidz (NBA Jr. Wizards Dancers), The WNBA Mystics Mayhem Dance Team, and our CMI Pre-Professional Dancers. More than 20 percent of program participants each year are offered program tuition scholarships to participate. Furthermore, these feeder programs enable us to continue to offer our outreach participants advanced training and performance opportunities. Instructors from the above-mentioned programs search for those children demonstrating potential to further their dance training and make recommendations to CMI administrators. The children identified are then invited to participate FREE of charge in one or all of our CMI Kidz programs providing them the opportunity to perform in prestigious events and venues such as the Verizon Center and the historic Lincoln Theatre.

RECENT YOUTH OUTREACH ACHIEVEMENTS:

• In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 CMI welcomed 3000 DC public school students and 100 senior citizens to the Lincoln Theater and the Lisner Auditorium to view the final dress rehearsal of our Capitol Movement Project (an annual show). The audience was generated through partnerships with Horizons at Maret School, DCPS Out of School Time, DC Parks and Recreation services, and local dance studios.
• Since 2006, over 600 children (in all Wards of the District of Columbia) aged 4-17 participated in our dance camp programming at Horizon’s at the Maret School, DCPR’s Discovery Camps and DCPS’ Out of School Time after-school programs and summer camps.
• Preliminary results from a Yale University study of Horizons programs indicate a measurable impact: measures of motivation for learning among Horizons students around the country have shown statistically significant improvement.
• To date, eight dancers have received monetary scholarships to study at elite training programs across the country through our scholarship program and 60 dancers have received scholarship tuition to participate in Capitol Kidz, CMI’s Summer Convention and the Capitol Movement Jr. Professional Company.
• The Capitol Kidz, a group of 65 children aged 6-13, performed at 30 NBA Washington Wizards home games from 2006-2009. Many are scholarship students who have been recruited through our youth outreach programs.
• In 2007, 16 year-old Latonya Swann was granted a $700 award to pursue technical training in ballet at the Dance Institute of Washington. Latonya also took part in our youth pre-professional group (CMI Kidz Jr Professional Company) on a scholarship basis and attended several of our workshops in 2006 and 2007. Last summer, Latonya gave back to her community by teaching at two different summer camp programs and performing in our free Day of Dance with the Capitol Movement Project. She currently interns with Capitol Movement as a marketing assistant.