Kern Dance Alliance

MISSION:

Kern Dance Alliance (KDA) is a nonprofit arts agency supporting and promoting dance + the arts in California's Central Valleys, specifically Kern County.

ABOUT:

For a decade, KDA has championed dance and the arts in California's Central Valleys through strategic grantmaking, innovative arts services, and transformative programs. KDA has reimagined how people connect with arts and culture, delivering initiatives that transcend demographics and geographies while igniting economic vitality.

KDA serves as a lifeline for artists and arts organizations, addressing community needs and creating pathways for cultural leaders. Serving over 170,000 individuals and raising nearly $5 million, KDA has redefined Central California's arts landscape. Through cross-sector programs, KDA uses the arts to spark educational breakthroughs in math and reading, enhance healthcare outcomes for dementia and disability, and elevate the marginalized with dignity and hope.

KDA SERVICES:

KDA serves the community through four pillars:

 

1.) COMMUNITY ALLIANCE SERVICES circulate information about events, news, and advocacy;

2.) SCHOLARSHIPS + GRANTS are provided to artists and arts organizations;

3.) PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS allow the community to attend and participate in professional programs, performances, and master classes;

4.) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT provides artists, culture bearers, creative individuals, and arts administrators with critical tools to enhance their professional endeavors and business operations.

KDA PROGRAMS: 

KDA serves a diverse population through programs that inspire passion, creativity, empowerment, and innovation.

• ADAPTIdance®: DANCE + DISABILITY offers adaptive dance classes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• BOOKS IN MOTION®: DANCE + LITERACY links dance and literacy to inspire children to read.
• CHILDREN'S DANCE EDUCATION + OUTREACH PROGRAM provides at-risk youth with dance at the Historic Bakersfield Fox Theater.
• FLASH DANCE inspires the Central Valley to move their bodies daily.
• HealingMOTION: DANCE + THERAPY is dance therapy sessions for cancer patients and survivors.
• KDA Cares provides support for Kern County dance and arts organizations.
• MemoryMOVES®: DANCE + THERAPY is dance therapy sessions for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.
• MightyMOVERS: DANCE + THERAPY is dance therapy for pediatric patients.
• NATIONAL DANCE DAY provides a celebratory day of various dance classes for the community.
• NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY FOR DANCE ARTS recognizes artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in students studying dance.
• OPEN STAGE affords creatives free access to the Historic Bakersfield Fox Theater's technical staff and amenities.
• Paso a Paso uses dance to create sisterhood and empowerment through life-skills workshops for Kern County high school girls, specifically Latinas.
• SHINE for GIRLS: DANCE + MATH = SUCCESS combines dance with math to improve girls' math scores and spark interest in STEM.
• Taste of Dance celebrates Central Valley diversity by promoting cultural awareness through dance and cuisine.
• 5 Steps to Success: MOVING YOUR COLLEGE DANCE APPLICATION to the NEXT LEVEL assists college bound dance students with higher education applications and admissions.
• KDA Creative Corps is a $4.2 million re-granting program awarded by the California Arts Council to support arts programs in the Central Valley and Eastern Sierras. The grant is used exclusively for regranting and administering the KDACC, not for KDA's existing programs, which continue to operate alongside the KDACC and require ongoing funding and community support.

Kern Dance Alliance is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Tax ID #: 77-0437598

Kern Dance Alliance, PO Box 12407, Bakersfield, CA. 93389

www.kerndance.org, (e) info@kerndance.org, (p) 661.491.5376