MDT’s Outreach Program

We strive to share the joy of dance with everyone.

For 2026, MDT received the Arts Education grant from Minnesota State Arts Board to partner with Minneapolis Public Schools to share the joys of dance through curated intro to dance classes to students ages 8–10.

Outreach Objectives

Coordination

Learn how to coordinate jumps, skips, & steps.

Musicality

Learn how to listen and respond to music.

Joy

The most important lesson: learn the joys of dance!

A group of young girls standing in a classroom, with one girl in the foreground extending her arm and pointing. The girls are dressed casually and are engaged in an activity or discussion.

Outreach Outcomes

Full-ride scholarships

Awarded to outreach students that show focus and a natural propensity for dance.

Develop a love for dance

The primary goal of MDT’s outreach program is to share the joy of dance. Through dance, we learn how to care for ourselves, connect with others, and develop a deeper understanding of our bodies. Our hope is that these lessons and sources of nourishment stay with participants throughout their lives, supporting their well-being both on and off the dance floor.

Ballet class with young students practicing at the barre in a dance studio
A young man with dreadlocks and tattoos is dancing in a studio, wearing an orange t-shirt, white pants, and black high-top sneakers, with a light background.

Darrius Strong

Darrius Strong is a member of MDT's year-round faculty, as well as the Lead Teacher of MDT’s Outreach Program.

Strong is an experienced teacher, performer, and leader. He is ecstatic to be leading MDT's outreach program, as he understands firsthand how impressionable dance can be to young children.