Who We Are

About Us

CityDance is a nonprofit arts organization based in Washington, DC, dedicated to transforming lives and communities through dance. For nearly three decades, we have provided exceptional training, performance opportunities, and arts education to dancers of all ages and backgrounds across the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia region.

Today, we operate across five locations and in community sites throughout the region, serving thousands of students each year, from 18 months to adults. Our work spans three core areas: pre-professional training through the Conservatory, open enrollment classes through CityDance Studios, and deep community engagement through partnerships, performances, and artist support.

At the heart of everything we do is a belief in the power of dance—not only as an art form, but as a pathway to discipline, creativity, confidence, connection, and professional careers..

CityDance was founded in 1996 as a professional contemporary dance company with a dual mission: to create world-class performances and to bring high-quality dance education into communities where the arts were least accessible. Over nearly three decades, we have taught tens of thousands of students, reached hundreds of thousands of audience members, launched the professional careers of our graduates, and supported the careers of countless professional artists through residencies, commissions, and employment. Deeply committed to our community, we have invested more than $10 million in free after-school programs, summer camps, and in-school performances at hundreds of schools and community sites across the D.C. metropolitan region. We have provided over $4 million in financial aid, tuition assistance, and merit-based scholarships to students enrolled in its in-studio training programs.

CityDance has been led by President & CEO Alexandra Nowakowski since 2005. She is joined by Letitia Hays, Chief Operating Officer; Ivy Chow, Executive Director of CityDance Studios; and Sarah J. Ewing, Head of Programming and Director of Contemporary Training for the Conservatory. The CityDance Board of Directors is led by Chair Kay Kendall.

CityDance Conservatory

The CityDance Conservatory is an audition-based, pre-professional training program for dedicated dancers ages 8–19. Designed to prepare students for collegiate and professional careers, Conservatory dancers train more than 20 hours per week in ballet, contemporary, and a wide range of complementary styles.

Through partnerships with leading artists and companies around the world, students gain rare opportunities to train and perform alongside working professionals. Comprehensive student support services guide families through the transition from high school to college and into professional careers.

Conservatory students and alumni are regularly recognized at the highest levels—earning top awards at international competitions, scholarships to elite summer intensives, and admission to leading collegiate programs. Graduates go on to perform with companies across the globe and to shape the future of the field as artists and innovators.

CityDance Studios

CityDance Studios offers high-quality dance education for everyone—from toddlers taking their first steps in the studio to adults pursuing lifelong learning. 

Serving more than 2,300 students annually, our programs span over 20 dance styles, including ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap, contemporary, and culturally rooted forms such as Afrobeat and Bollywood. With a strong emphasis on accessibility and community, we offer beginner-friendly classes for all ages, performance opportunities for youth, and flexible programming for adults at every level.

Our studios are spaces where dancers can grow, connect, and belong—whether they are training seriously or simply dancing for joy.

Community Impact

Building on a long history of expanding access to the arts, CityDance continues to bring dance beyond the studio and into the broader community.

Through performances, free classes, workshops, and collaborative programs, CityDance connects students, teaching artists, and audiences across Washington, DC—reaching tens of thousands of people each year. Our youth performers appear at festivals, community events, and local venues throughout the city, often incorporating interactive elements that invite participation and foster connection.

We are committed to meeting community needs with responsive, inclusive programming. Initiatives like Dance as a Path to Healing—which provides free, trauma-informed movement classes for women experiencing housing insecurity and other challenges—reflect our belief in dance as a powerful tool for expression, resilience, and well-being.

As a nonprofit organization, accessibility is central to our approach. We provide more than $250,000 annually in financial aid and merit-based scholarships, alongside subsidized programming and flexible pathways for participation—ensuring that cost is not a barrier to entry.

At its core, this work is about connection—creating spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can experience the joy, creativity, and transformative power of dance.

Our History

CityDance was founded in 1996 as a professional contemporary dance company with a bold vision: to create innovative performance work while expanding access to high-quality dance education in communities where the arts were least accessible.

The professional company, CityDance Ensemble, quickly gained national and international recognition for its artistic excellence and adventurous programming. It was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” and earned multiple Mayor’s Arts Awards for innovation, emerging artist achievement, and excellence in an artistic discipline. The company toured extensively—both nationally and internationally—bringing its work to audiences around the world and establishing CityDance as a leading voice in the field.

At the same time, CityDance was building a parallel commitment to education and community engagement. Early outreach programs brought free performances and dance instruction into public schools, laying the groundwork for a model that combined artistic excellence with meaningful access.

In 2005, two defining milestones shaped the organization’s future: the opening of a permanent training center at the newly-opened Music Center at Strathmore and the launch of the DREAM program, which provided tuition-free dance education alongside academic and social-emotional support. As the program expanded, it became a nationally recognized model for arts-based youth development, receiving the Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education and the National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award—one of the nation’s highest honors for after-school programs.

Over the following decade, CityDance broadened its impact through the growth of its training programs and community initiatives. The Conservatory was established to provide rigorous, pre-professional instruction for dedicated young dancers, while community programs reached thousands of students annually across the region.

In 2011, following the departure of its founder, CityDance made a pivotal transition, closing the professional company and reimagining its artistic model. The organization shifted its focus toward education, presenting, and artist support—allowing it to deepen its reach and invest more fully in training and community impact.

As DREAM evolved into a comprehensive pre-professional pathway, it ultimately became an independent nonprofit organization, The VIVA School of Dance. This transition marked a significant milestone and reflected CityDance’s long-standing commitment to equity, access, and building sustainable opportunities for young artists.

Today, CityDance is a multifaceted arts organization serving thousands of students each year—training the next generation of dancers, engaging communities, and supporting artists—while remaining grounded in its founding belief: that dance has the power to change lives.