KDA is excited to announce the return of National Dance Day 2026 on Saturday, September 19, at the Dignity Health Theater in downtown Bakersfield.
Join us for a full day of dance featuring classes for all ages and experience levels taught by talented local instructors and professional guest artists. The celebration will also include a community marketplace, and opportunities to connect with dancers from across California’s Central Valley. Teacher applications open soon!
ABOUT NATIONAL DANCE DAY
Established in 2010 by American Dance Movement co-founder, Nigel Lythgoe, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, National Dance Day is an annual celebration dedicated to dance, that encourages Americans of all ages to incorporate dance into their lives. By creating a focused day of celebration to show support for dance as a valuable form of exercise and of artistic expression, American Dance Movement aims to educate the public about dance and its many benefits, as well as make dance accessible and inclusive to everyone.
American Dance Movement (ADM) believes that participation in dance connects the mind and body, promotes health and wellbeing, connects us with others and enables us to find joy through dance and movement. National Dance Day (NDD) is a day of celebrating dance, in all its forms, and takes place annually on the third Saturday in September.
Accessible to everyone at every ability level, National Dance Day provides:
~ An instructional video, made available online, for people to view, learn and share with others wherever they are.
~ American Dance Movement Co-Hosted events in two key cities, providing free dance classes and performances for all ages and skills levels, with information from a range of community dance organizations
~ Nation-wide Event Registration that encourages and supports individuals & communities, as they celebrate NDD
~ Strong online presence, allowing everyone to participate, no matter where they are across America
Courtesy of the American Dance Movement.
ABOUT KDA
KDA is a nonprofit arts advocacy organization dedicated to supporting, strengthening, and advancing dance and the arts throughout Kern County and California’s Central Valley.
For more than a decade, KDA has connected communities through innovative arts education, performances, advocacy, and grantmaking. In 2025, KDA was named the Outstanding Dance Education Organization of the Year by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) in recognition of its leadership and commitment to making dance accessible for everyone.
Today, KDA has served more than 200,000 community members, created over 3,500 jobs and invested over $6 million into arts initiatives throughout California’s Central Valley.
For more information visit kerndance.org/danceday
