History and Mission

It is our mission to inspire the appreciation of dance through artistic excellence and to enrich the cultural landscape of our community.

In furtherance of our mission, we are committed to maintaining:

- Exceptional and diverse performances

- High quality educational programs

- Outreach to inspire and enrich the community

- A sound financial condition that enables growth and provides a stable viable future.

Northern Plains Dance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Bismarck, North Dakota. Our professional training facility, the Northern Plains Dance Academy, provides dance training for students ages 3 to adult. Our professional dance company provides opportunities for audiences in the Bismarck area to directly experience and understand dance performance’s power to communicate aspects of the human experience, while simultaneously providing children with an opportunity to gain performance experience in a professional production.

Northern Plains Dance was founded in 1998 as a ballet training facility for dance students in the Bismarck-Mandan area. As Northern Plains Dance grew, so did the range of styles offered, now expanded to include hip hop, modern, jazz, tap, and social dance genres. Our instructors are highly qualified, most of whom have made their careers as professional dancers and dance educators.

NPD first performed The Nutcracker in 1998, and the current artistic staff has made it an annual holiday tradition since 2008. Each February we produce the Choreographers’ Showcase, uniting visual artists, choreographers, and musicians from around the country in an exciting and dynamic performance unlike any other. Our spring production has included such titles as Cinderella, Snow White, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. Dancers in our productions range in age from 3 to adult and include professional dancers in guest roles.