OUTREACH

DANCE FOR JOY

 

 

Berest Dance Outreach Program


DANCE FOR JOY (DFJ)

 

When students enter Berest Dance Center, dance is the only thing that matters. Differences disappear, anxieties are left at the door, and all ages and nationalities become one in their passion for dance. The comradery is obvious at first glance into a class. 
 
Berest Dance Center is committed to nuturing young aspiring dancers regardless of their financial circumstances.Our focus is on supporting and guiding students to reach their highest potential. In addition to comprehensive ballet training, BDC offers opportunities to study various genres of dance, including modern, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, musical theatre, broadway dance tap and hiphop. We aim to help our students  find their voice by exploring the many styles of dance we offer.

In 2021 the Berest Dance Center introduced the "Dance for Joy" program inspired by a young dancer and former student, Michelle Wasserman. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of children who could not afford dance classes by offering them a 10 week free Introduction to Dance workshop. She goal was to provide a class that nurtured self-esteem,  confidence and a  passion for dance. She wanted to share the joy that dance brought to her and called the program "Dance for Joy"(DFJ)
 
2025 brings DFJ to its 5th year at the Berest Dance Center. Now a scholarship program providing a full dance season, 16 students are integrated into the Berest Dance Center's weekly classes. 
 
Since its inception, we have been thrilled to witness students like Ashley.  Now 13 years old, Ashley has progressed from a 9 year olds' Introductory Workshop in 2021, to an Intermediated level of training, She is currently studying ballet twice a week, musical theatre and tap with the tuition awarded to her.   Ashley also performs in the Berest Dance Centers' annual Holiday Show as well as community events with her Berest Dance peers. As she continues to advance, she will have the opportunity to explore all the genres that BDC  has to offer. Her enthusiasm and determination to excel in dance are unparalleled. Dance has become the cornerstone of her life. Moveover, her familys expression of gratitude for the joy it brings to their daugther is beyond measure. 
 

Ashley dreams of graduating from the Berest Dance Center with a future in dance.Inspired by the commitment of Ashley and the passion of our recipients, Berest Dance Center has initiated a program to meet the needs of these serious dance students.

 

DANCE SCHOLAR  Enrollment in the Dancer Scholar proram is awarded to qualifying students who want to pursue dance beyond  the Berest Dance Center.It includes comprehensive support from high school counselors, college admission specialists and dance professions who coach senior dance solos for college auditions . This opportunity is offered to  students in their sophomore year of high school.  

It includes:

  • Transition from High School to College: Life Skills from Dance Training
    Alison Berest, Certified Mental Health Counselor
  • College Applications
    Dr. Francine Fabricant, Certified Career Counselor
  • Dance Audition Preparation
    Orion Duckstein, Associate Professor and Chair of Adelphi Dance Department
  • Audition Piece Couching
    Heather Berest, Berest Dance Center Dance Professional
  • Dance Reel 
    Jessica Wontropski, Dance and Media Professional at Berest Dance Center
  • College Headshot
    Linda Nutter, Photographer

Offering scholarships and services enables Dance Scholars to stay on the course to graduation-creating a pivotal opportunity to transform their lives and launch successful careers post-graduation.

 

A heart felt thankyou to our most recent 2024-25 sponsors; To Damon Gersh for your generous gift from the Gersh Foundation. To Dave and Carrie Kerpen, a family whose daughter Kate has spent her entire young life dancing within our walls and will be graduating spring of 2025.A special shoutout to Sadie Steinberg, who has chosen "Dance for Joy" to be the receipient of of 2025 Bat Mitzvah project and to Hanna Edelson for selecting "Dance for Joy" as her 2024 Bat Mitzvah project. You have helped to make impossilble dreams possible. We are also grateful to "Smusht" the Port Washington icecream parlor for their corporate sponsorship; to Hearts PW for their unwavering support and to Dejana of Port Washinton for helping Dance for Joy continue its mission.

You are invited to contribute to helping fund the dance education for continued classes for our students in Dance for Joy.  Your donation makes a difference. Every gift of any size means so much to our students.  Your donation the the Berest Dance Center will help us foster the dreams of our dedicated young dancers and will sustain our vision of giving young dancers a bright future in the arts.

 

Your Gift Makes a Difference

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS for 36 Weeks of Dance Training

Platinum-$10,000-unlimited hours of dance training weekly
Gold -$5,000-$9,999 -five to 8 hours of dance training weekly
Silver $2500-$4,999- two to four hours of dance training weekly
Bronz- $1000-2,499- one hour workship classes weekly
Supporter-$500-$999 one/half to one hour class weekly
Friend-$100-$499 coaching class or small group
 

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Inaugurated in 1988, Unique Projects, Inc. is a program created and administered by Pentacle/DanceWorks, Inc. Unique Projects, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit corporation that provides a tax-exempt umbrella and technical assistance on a project-by-project basis to artists and companies whose work is of high caliber and for whom the program’s specific structure is appropriate. For additional information please visit www.pentacle.org.  Donations to Unique Projects in support of the Berest Dance Center’s Dance for Joy Outreach Program are tax-deductible using the “Donate Now” or PayPal link below. If donating via check, please make the check payable to Unique Projects, Inc. and note BDC in the memo. 
 
Donate Now:
 
We are proud to have Unique Projects/Pentacle Inc. as our fiscal sponsor.
 
 
 
 

 

Fall of 2025, Ashley will be going into her 5th year as a scholarship student

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Click the image below to read about our program

2020 Dance for Joy recepients