Historic Albuquerque Landmark Brings New Life to Community

Historic Albuquerque Landmark Brings New Life to Community

National Dance Institute of New Mexico Unveils Plans for Hiland Theater

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI-NM) unveiled their plans for Hiland Theater renovations today. The historic landmark, owned by Bernalillo County, will provide a new home for NDI-NM and will once again bring performing arts to the community.

The primary use of the Hiland Theater is to provide much-needed space to offer after-school, weekend and summer education and instruction for students ages three through eighteen who reside in the county. The Hiland will also serve as a local base of operations and a central location for NDI-NM Teaching Excellence(TM) training programs for NDI-NM. The Hiland will allow NDI-NM to address the ever-increasing demand for NDI-NM programs in Albuquerque and around the state.

"NDI-NM offers a place where children are engaged, safe, productive and challenged. Our new home in Albuquerque will be a vibrant and inviting space for the community to share their love of the arts and will help us grow our programs to reach even more children," said Russell Baker, NDI-NM executive director. "We are emboldened by the impact of this project and by the knowledge that lives will be changed for the better."

National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI-NM) was granted the lease of the Hiland Theater in January. Currently, NDI-NM offers residents of Bernalillo County over $500,000 in services. This figure will triple once the Hiland Theater is occupied.

The NDI-NM combined campaign will be a total of $13 million and will include construction, programs and endowment. The organization has already raised $4 million dollars and additional funds will be raised by leveraging funding from public and private sources for the three phases of renovations. NDI-NM also looks forward to working with community members and local businesses to volunteer their time and skill or to provide in-kind donations.

"We are so excited today to welcome NDI to the Hiland Theater, this historic landmark will provide a permanent home for NDI-NM and once again bring life to the neighborhood as a vibrant community space," said Deanna Archuleta, Bernalillo County Commissioner. "Its central location gives access to students across New Mexico to continue to be positively impacted by the program."

NDI-NM's future plans for the Hiland will benefit more than just their organization. The permanent home provided by the Hiland will allow NDI-NM to undertake more collaborations and mission-based partnerships.

About National Dance Institute of New Mexico

National Dance Institute of New Mexico is founded with the knowledge that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate children. The purpose of our distinctive programs is to help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence, and a belief in themselves that will carry over into all aspects of their lives. In 1997 NDI-NM began serving Albuquerque Public Schools. Currently, 16 Albuquerque Public Schools participate in NDI-NM's dance programs, 18 are on the Albuquerque waiting list and 83 other schools are on a statewide waiting list. All outreach programs are offered free of charge to students and their families. In addition to public school programs, NDI-NM operates a 33,000 square foot facility, The Dance Barns, in Santa Fe, NM. www.ndi-nm.org

Source: National Dance Institute of New Mexico

CONTACT: Jina Michael, +1-505-615-5118, or Ana Liu, +1-714-299-3711,
both for National Dance Institute of New Mexico

Web Site: http://www.ndi-nm.org/

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