Elevating the Art of Dance. Since its founding in 1998, Northern Plains Dance (NPD) has grown from a ballet training facility into a premier dance education and performance organization in the Bismarck-Mandan area. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, NPD offers instruction in hip hop, modern, jazz, tap, and social dance, with a faculty of highly qualified instructors—many of whom have had professional dance careers. NPD’s students have gone on to nationally recognized summer programs and university dance programs, solidifying its reputation as a center for excellence in dance education.
Each season, NPD produces four major performances, including the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker, a spring production featuring well-known fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan, and two contemporary mixed-repertoire concerts, Dance+ and Rooftop, which blend dance, music, and visual arts in unique collaborations. NPD is committed to inclusive performances, offering adapted shows for individuals with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities, as well as statewide Student Matinees of The Nutcracker for second graders.
To further expand access to dance, NPD is strengthening educational outreach efforts and forming partnerships with other performing arts organizations. Its programs include Adaptive Dance Classes, scholarships, Arts Immersion with Head Start, Aging Gracefully and Dance for Parkinson’s for seniors, and ticket subsidies for at-risk and underprivileged children in the community.
With the support of The Tom and Frances Leach Foundation, Inc., Northern Plains Dance continues to grow as a cultural and artistic pillar in North Dakota, fostering a lifelong appreciation for dance and the performing arts. Learn more at: https://northernplainsdance.org/