While still a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, Jacques d’Amboise established National Dance Institute in 1976 with the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate children towards excellence. Jacques’ contribution to the field of arts education earned him a MacArthur Fellowship, a Kennedy Center Honors Award, and a New York Governor’s Award, among many other honors. For nearly 50 years, NDI has impacted the lives of over two million children, using Jacques’ teaching methodology to improve children’s critical thinking, develop their global perspective, and hone their social-emotional, communication, and collaboration skills.