Breaking Ground – Courtesy of Ed Stewart. Used by permission.
Breaking Ground – Courtesy of Ed Stewart. Used by permission.
Among all the annual performances I cover, the Kids Dance Outreach Event of the Year remains one of my top picks. This year’s Breaking Ground continued the tradition, surpassing previous events. I attended the Friday show at The Howard Schrott Center for the Performing Arts at Butler University, which featured a fundraising segment that brought in thousands of dollars.
Founded in 2012 by Artistic Director Michael J. Johnson, Kids Dance Outreach is a nonprofit organization that offers arts and dance education with live music to children, regardless of their background, abilities, or financial situation. An example of the impact KDO has made is last year’s numbers, which reflected 207 hours of free dance education for children in 52 classrooms across 17 public and charter schools in Marion County.
Led by a 25-member staff, 100 students performed a program honoring visionaries and young heroes who fought injustice and shaped society. Act one highlighted figures like Ruby Bridges, Dolly Parton, and Major Taylor; Act two focused on unity, opportunity, and the inspiration these leaders provide to new generations working toward” breaking ground” for a better world.
Narrated by a former KDO alum who regularly hosts the event and does so splendidly from memory, this year’s production was the most ambitious in its history in terms of its thematic concept, and production values, including outstanding costumes, lighting, sound, and video projections.
The event was further enhanced by a spectacular musical component, featuring a five-member alumni choir, three exception vocalists—Teresa Reynolds, Steve Hedrick, and Matt Soverns—and the KDO 14-piece band, under the direction of Jeffrey DeHerdt. The program included a diverse selection of pieces such as Legend of the Fall, It’s Just Begun, 9-5, Sixteen Tons, The Times They are A-Changing, Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around, Rise Up, Working for the Weekend, and It’s Raining Men.
Breaking Ground – Courtesy of Eff Stewart. Used by permission.
Standout performances were turned in by Nora Danielson & Ezekiel Pilcher in a duet set to The Times They Are A-Changing and Rise Up featuring Bea Blettner,Riley Colbert, Ellie Miller, Genisis Ramon Nava, Rose Tormoehlen Elle Droste-Glowinski and Yaretsky It Itzel Ochoa-Pena.
It is no exaggeration to say that 2026’s The Event of the Year_—with choreography and staging by KDO Founder Michael Johnson and Executive Director Monica Munoz—was groundbreaking itself, in terms of artistry. This professional quality – production was no doubt a transformative experience for the KDO students and parents and remembered always for the unique collaboration it offered.
