Irise Dance Project
Summer Program
A FREE Summer Dance Program For Young Children Exploring Creativity, Expression, Community, and Culture
This summer program is designed for children entering grades K-4. Children explore a vibrant mix of dance styles, along with engaging literacy and arts activities, storytelling, choreography sessions, and reflective exercises tailored specifically for young children and their varying needs.
Highlights Include
Diverse Dance Classes: Explore various styles to include ballet, hip-hop, modern, and Latin dance.
Creative Arts Activities: Literacy based arts activities that ignite imagination's while exploring various topics such as culture, identity, and social awareness.
Choreography Workshops: Children learn to unleash their creativity and develop their own dance pieces.
Community Celebration: Join us for a grand finale presentation where participants showcase their talents to families and the community!
Whether your child is a budding dancer or simply wants to try something new, our program provides a nurturing and exciting environment for everyone.
“For my son, it’s just been an incredible experience, we’ve had a hard time putting into words how important it has been for him. I think to be a part of not just a dance community where he feels accepted but also to be able to broaden that is so important. The experience of exploring culture and diversity and coming together in a community in ways that you can’t always do unless you have something in common. Dance, music, the arts, is the common denominator.” - Parent of a summer program participant
The Lawrence Newburyport Connection
In collaboration with Acting Out Newburyport, youth company dancers of Irise Dance Project alongside the talented youth of Newburyport, came together to learn, create, and perform choreography for a vibrant and exceptional production of the Lion King. This partnership not only showcased the artistry of both groups but also aims to foster connections between the communities of Lawrence and Newburyport.
Irise Dance Project and Acting Out of Newburyport look forward to continuing this partnership for summer 2026. Together we aim to enhance artistic expression among youth, while also building community connections between Lawrence and Newburyport. By bringing together young dancers from different localities, the program promotes cultural exchange, encourage personal growth, and create community bonds
Summer Programming is funded in part by The Greater Lawrence Summer Fund of Essex County Community Foundation