Specialties
With live music and a professional teaching faculty, our dance classes for ages one and up nurture creativity, engage the imagination, and promote social and developmental skills in a safe and enriching environment. Our students gain a strong technical foundation in dance, as well as the confidence, maturity and self-awareness essential to learning the art of dance.
Community artists and organizations use our studios for classes, workshops, rehearsal and special events and performances. The Dance Foundation fills a niche for community artists, providing comfortable, affordable and professional studio space for their activities.
In addition to four studios, we have a a 100- seat theatre with lighting and sound equipment, a backstage area and dressing rooms. This space is available to the community and fits a unique need with intimate seating and a sprung dance floor. This space can also serve as a studio or meeting place.
History
Established in 1975.
The Dance Foundation was founded in 1975 by Jennie Robertson, Virginia Samford Donovan, and Mary Conyers Cooper. Today, our work continues to embody our founding mission of providing opportunities for students of all ages and abilities to learn through the power of dance and the arts.
What began in the mid-70's as age and developmentally appropriate dance classes for small groups of young children and those with challenges has flourished into something extraordinary. The Dance Foundation is an organization now serving more than 2,000 students each week. The Dance Foundation has a professional staff of dancers and musicians to share our mission. Less than 10% of our budget is for management and administration. Programs are provided virtually every day, year-round.
As a not-for-profit dance education organization, The Dance Foundation is able to provide unique, creative programs and services through the strong partnership of professional staff, a committed board of directors and a dive
Meet the Manager: Rachael I.
Artistic Director Rachael Inman's love of dance has led to an eclectic career as artist and educator. Rachael earned an MFA in Dance from Florida State University and a BFA in Communications with a Dance Minor from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Before moving back to Birmingham, Rachael served as a dance faculty member at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., teaching ballet, modern, and graduate choreography for over four years. Rachael has an extensive history with The Dance Foundation as guest teacher and performer. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious Dance fellowship from Alabama State Council on the Arts. Throughout her career she has danced, taught, and choreographed throughout the Southeast.
