event of the year
The Kids Dance Outreach Event of the Year is an annual culminating, professionally produced performance featuring the children of Kids Dance Outreach. Infused with a different theme every year, the KDO Event of the Year incorporates original choreography, poetry, spoken word, live music, costumes, and light design to create a one-of-a-kind experience for the children performing and audiences alike. Beyond the stage, the KDO Event of the Year is a mission spotlight and fundraising event.
2025
Save the Date! Kids Dance Outreach Event of the Year – May 2 & 3, 2025
Mark your calendars for the return of the Kids Dance Outreach Event of the Year! Join us at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University on May 2 at 7:00PM and May 3, at 2:00PM & 7:00PM, 2025, for an unforgettable celebration of our children, dance, and community. This event always sells out fast, so stay connected and be sure to grab your tickets before they’re gone. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible experience! Public ticket sales open March 31, 2025!
2025 event sponsors
Breakfast Optimist Club of Indianapolis
Anonymous
2024
Event of the Year, “True Colors”
Celebrating our identities and the beauty that makes us all unique – a powerful mosaic of how our colors combine and our stories connect to weave together the fabric of our community.
It will take place on May 1 & 2, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University.
2023
Event of the Year, “Message in a Bottle”
Celebrating the wonder and beauty of our Earth through dance, poetry, and song inspired by environmental messages and themes. We reflected on our planet’s current state and all the gifts it has to offer. We hope to inspire our audiences to think deeply about how everyday small actions can make a change.
2022
Event of the Year, “Dancin’ in the Streets”
After a two-year pause, the Event returned — inspired by an eclectic range of musical styles, eras, and cultures, fused together, celebrating our children’s hard work, dedication, and achievements. We are reminded that KDO is a place where children (and audiences) can be inspired through the arts and experience the humanity that unites us all: love, community, joy, and resiliency.
2019
Event of the Year, “Hold Fast to Dreams”
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, the Event featured music, literature, visual art, and dance of artists including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Aaron Douglas, Langston Hughes, the Nicholas Brothers, and more. As we are transported to a time period often considered the golden age in African American culture, we are reminded of the power that the arts have to connect us and remind us to “hold fast to dreams.”