opportunities
join our
team
join our team
Join our dynamic Team and engage in our inspiring mission to impact the lives of children and our community. At KDO, we don’t just uplift your personal and professional journey, but actively cultivate and value it, unlocking exciting opportunities for growth and development!
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
Kids Dance Outreach is actively seeking hourly Musicians (Pianists and Drummers) to join the Team for the 2024-2025 school year. Interested candidates must complete the application and submit all required materials by 5 p.m. on August 4th, 2024.
About the Musician Position
Limited positions available
- High interest in upholding KDO’s mission and values, furthering access and equity, and themes of diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all voices are heard and respected in our work.
- High level of proficiency in their instrument.
- Strong improvisational skills.
- Has a wide stylistic range and repertoire (pop, Latin, funk, classical, musical theatre, jazz, gospel, etc.).
- High-performance quality – plays with a strong and consistent sense of tempo, expressively, dynamically, and with a sense of theatricality.
- Passionate about arts education and children’s well-being.
- Self-motivated and able to work independently and collaboratively with team members.
- Adaptable in an ever-changing environment, resilient, persistent, problem-solving, empathetic leaders.
- They are committed to giving children the highest quality experience with joy, purpose, and empathy, understanding the profound impact of their work on the children they serve.
Kids Dance Outreach is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. KDO serves children of all races, backgrounds, religions, and abilities. We firmly believe in and have witnessed the power of the Arts as a catalyst for change. Together, we continue to seek innovative ways to effect change in our community and the world through our mission and strive to be part of that change. We invite and strongly encourage teaching artists from diverse backgrounds to apply.
THROUGH THE LENS OF A KDO TEACHING ARTIST
In 2023, we invited the Artists of the KDO Teaching Team to share their reflections, stories, and perspectives on what it means to be a KDO Teaching Artist and what they experience through the mission. We captured their stories in this short but impactful video series.
WHO WE reach
KDO In-School Programs reach elementary-age children in public and charter schools throughout Marion County, where Indianapolis is located. The KDO Advanced Scholarship Programs are composed of students from the In-School and Summer Programs, with offerings for students up through eighth grade. With a commitment to providing high-quality dance education to all children, all KDO programs are inclusive for children with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. The Dancers with Disabilities Programs offer further opportunities specifically designed for children with disabilities to learn and grow in a safe and joyful environment. More than 2,000 children participate in KDO each year.
To date, more than 20,000 children have experienced the transformative power of the arts through KDO’s high-quality dance programs.
While every KDO program mirrors its own community, overall, KDO programs reach a population that reflects Marion County. While we recognize that statistics can’t capture the full extent of our community, particularly regarding the experience of our youth, it is essential to contextualize the environment in which our programs take place.
Current statistics for Marion County show that:
- 29% of families are designated as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) — households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) but cannot afford the basic cost of living in their county (United Way);
- 23% of youth live below the poverty line (Indiana Youth Institute – IYI);
- While the Indianapolis Public School district currently offers all meals free of charge for families, 68.9% of families would be eligible for free or reduced lunch (NICHE);
- As over 60% of youth in Marion County identify as racial or ethnic minorities (IYI), KDO reaches students from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds, particularly those who identify as Hispanic, Black, and Multiracial.
pedagogy
All KDO classes are taught by a Team of highly trained Teaching Artists and Musicians and always include live music (piano and percussion). Through specialized teaching techniques, KDO utilizes unique and accessible movement vocabulary to promote structure, discipline, focus, empathy, and self-confidence. At the core of KDO’s methodology is cultivating acceptance and celebrating diversity, encouraging each child to succeed while building community.
associate of national dance institute (andi)
In a significant stride beyond our local community partnerships, KDO proudly assumed the role of the Indiana Associate of the National Dance Institute of New York (ANDI) in 2018. This distinction places KDO as the sole program in Indiana and one of a select few, numbering about a dozen, in the entire country. This exclusive association propels NDI’s pedagogy, standards of excellence, and best practices in community arts education programs for children. As part of this prestigious association, the KDO Teaching Team frequently engages in training, collaborations, and exchanges led by NDI. National Dance Institute (NDI) is a non-profit arts education organization founded in 1976 by ballet star Jacques d’Amboise. Under the artistic direction of Ellen Weinstein, Kay Gayner, and a staff of professional Teaching Artists, NDI uses dance and music to instill in students a love of the arts, a passion for learning, and a desire to strive for their personal best.
Courtesy National Dance Institute — KDO Teaching Artist Kelvin Burzon participating in NDI Teacher Training, 2023.