ADI, a 501(c)(3) non profit educational institution was co-founded in September 2000 by Pamela Booth Bjerknes, a former dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the late Michael Bjerknes, a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. With a $2 million dollar renovation they transformed an empty 20,000sq. ft. warehouse into one of the finest arts, dance and wellness facilities in the country.

School

The Institute offers dance instruction for children and adults.   In the children’s division our faculty, from the finest and most prestigious professional dance companies and universities, train children ages 2-18 in all disciplines of dance and choreography. The adult dance division offers ballet, modern and flamenco classes. Through the Future Artists Fund endowment, the Institute grants financial aid, merit scholarships and work study assistance as well as support for students in the Ballet ADI and apprenticeships.

Performance Series

ADI’s performance series introduces the DC Metro community to diverse programming consisting of emerging and professional dance companies making their area debut. Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the Arpino Apprentices of the Joffrey Ballet, Ailey II, the apprentice company of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paul Taylor II and ABT II have performed in The ADI Theatre.

Ballet ADI

ADI’s resident dance company, under the direction of Runqiao Du, is partially comprised of leading dancers in the DC Metro area — former members of American Ballet Theatre, Tbilisi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Washington Ballet. Much like a teaching hospital, Ballet ADI provides hands-on, direct training to career-ready students, creating a bridge between advanced ADI students and the professional dance community

ADI Incubator

The goal of the Incubator dance residency program is to contribute to the future of American dance by supporting the creation of daring new choreographic works. There is powerful value in nurturing artists and companies that have something new to bring to the world but need the space, resources and support to flesh it out. ADI has established the Incubator as a way to provide a literal and emotional space around forward-thinking artists in order to cultivate and introduce new important works to the world of American dance.