Ensuring that youth from all backgrounds experience the benefits of the performing arts, DIW offers high-quality dance instruction to more than 1,000 students each year. And its commitment to racial and economic equity infuses everything it does. At the School of Dance and at partner locations, students ages 2 to 22 receive pre-professional training in classical ballet and diverse dance disciplines, coupled with dance health, nutrition, academic enrichment, life skills, mentoring, and workforce development. This equity-based, holistic approach prepares students to pursue professional dance careers — with impressive results. 95% of graduates complete high school, with many moving on to excellent universities and professional dance companies. The Fabian Barnes Black Box Theater, named for DIW's founder, opens new possibilities for audience engagement, with masterclasses, performances by students, professional dancers, and featured artists that reach 6,000+ diverse audience members a year.

Headquarters: DC-Ward 1

Where They Operate: DC-Citywide; DC-Ward 1; The Columbia Heights neighborhood of Ward 1; Washington, DC.

Age Groups Served: Pre-K (3-4); Youth (5-11); Pre-teen/teen (12-17); Young adult (18-24); Adult (25-49); Seniors (50+)

Ethnic Groups Served: African American; Asian American; Caucasian; Latino/Hispanic

Population(s) Served: Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members; Men/Boys; Women/Girls; Students

Schools They Work In: Columbia Heights Educational Campus

Awards & Recognition

*2022 - DIW wins the NBC Project Innovation Award and Kahina Haynes wins the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund Award.
*2021 - DIW wins both the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award and the National Summer Learning Award. Kahina Haynes is named an American Express NGen Fellow.
*2013 - Fabian Barnes receives the Amtrak Pioneer Award.
*2011 - DIW receives the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from President Obama's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
*2008 - Fabian Barnes is named Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian.
*2000 - Oprah awards Fabian Barnes the Use Your Life Award.

Press

Budget (FY2023)

  • $3 million or higher
  • The current budget for The Dance Institute of Washington, Inc. is: $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

About Spur Local

Every year, 190+ local nonprofits (with budgets under $4M) apply to join the Spur Local network. 170+ community volunteers assess these applications for impact. 100% of organizations are site visited and financially reviewed. Finally, 76+ critical, local nonprofits are selected for inclusion in Spur Local's annual print and digital catalog, and enter a four-year partnership with us. Since 2003, we have raised over $65 million for nonprofits across the Greater Washington region. We charge no fees and raise funds separately to support our work.

Spur Local looks to friends like you to keep our services independent and entirely free of charge. Consider a small contribution to Spur Local to cap off your gift and help the causes you care about get the full support they deserve!

If you like The Dance Institute of Washington, Inc. you might also like