D2D IN ACTION!
Since 2023, Dressed to Dance has donated to nineteen partner organizations across four states and two countries.
2300+
Items collected, including 500 pairs of shoes
1300+
Items rehomed, including 350 pairs of shoes
Mission
Dressed to Dance was established in 2023 to increase access to dance by eliminating some of the barriers to participation. We provide dancewear and costumes–which can be prohibitively expensive–to young Chicago dancers who need them.
Dancing is a creative, expressive, fun medium that’s also great exercise! Participating in classes brings many young people unforgettable personal development opportunities, memories, skills, and confidence that lasts a lifetime. However, many classes, such as ballet, require special clothing and shoes, which can be prohibitively expensive–especially when combined with the cost of the classes themselves.
Additionally, competitions, recitals and performances often require the purchase of expensive costumes, many of which are never used again. By recycling these garments, we are not only providing opportunities for dance to people who might not otherwise have them, but we are eliminating clothing waste.
BROWSE COSTUMES
PARTNERS
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Dance on Broadway is a studio in Chicago on mission to provide the highest quality dance training for both children and adults in an atmosphere which promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. They are committed to inspiring our students to work to their full potential, and to express themselves artistically in a positive and professional environment.
Dance Peace is an initiative where refugee children and families in areas of social tension integrate peacefully into their communities through dance.
En Las Tablas Performing Arts (ELTPA) is a nonprofit community arts organization established in Chicago in 2006 to offer children and adults from the Hermosa Neighborhood, and surrounding communities, affordable access to an array of performing arts classes and professional artistic training opportunities.
KIPP Chicago consists of eight schools educating more than 3,600 students in grades K-8 from the South and West Sides of Chicago.
Teatro Tariakuri provides a spotlight for underrepresented voices to express themselves, to be seen, and understood. Based in the Southwest Chicago Lawn neighborhood, they are dedicated to producing Spanish-language productions for Chicago’s Mexican American immigrant community
Akanksha Education Fund supports initiatives to improve access to high-quality education for children from low-income communities in India, and create pathways out of poverty for them through a transformative education.
Living Arts Dance, Inc. was established in 2006, with the mission to provide professional performing arts programs for all.
Synapse Arts is a dance-theater company based in Chicago, Illinois. They present professional performances, teach classes to children and adults, and mentor emerging artists. All of their work supports women and LGBTQIA+ artists.
Chocolate Ballerina Company is a contemporary community-based dance organization, that supports the hidden talents in youth and adult artists of color in the Philadelphia region.
Special Gifts Theatre’s programs foster self-confidence, social, speech and language skills in individuals with disabilities. They work as a community to use educational and therapeutic techniques with the stage as the platform integrating creativity and fun.
The mission of Dance Avondale is to provide the highest quality of dance education and dance performance opportunities for its community through access, equity, and excellence in instruction.