Timeline

1985 - 1986 - 1992 - 1993 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 - 2008

1985 - Back to the top
Young Dancers in Repertory is founded as a professionally-oriented teenage touring ensemble, the first and only of its kind in Brooklyn.




1986 - Back to the top
YDR Ensemble's first performance is held at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. YDR Ensemble performs for the 20th Anniversary of the Brooklyn Arts Council.

1992 - Back to the top
Responding to requests from constituents for dance classes, YDR opens and expands its classes to include students who were not Ensemble members. YDR barters services for space at schools, community centers and the like, to hold classes. This was before obtaining our own space!




1993 - Back to the top
YDR Ensemble performs at the Prospect Park Bandshell as part of Celebrate Brooklyn.




1995 - Back to the top
YDR's Center for Dance Studies opens! Our own building with two dance studios and administrative offices. This row house on 60th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn was a donation of Dial Poultry through Materials for the Arts.

Annual performance series on cable television, The Prayer Channel begins.

First live television broadcast on national cable, FX station's Breakfast Time.

The YDR Ensemble together with Dance Consort performs for the Doris Humphrey Centennial Celebration.




1996 - Back to the top
Arts-in-Education, now our most successful program, begins at P.S. 149 in Brooklyn.
The YDR Ensemble and Dance Consort perform at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Dance Consort performs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C.

1997 - Back to the top
The YDR Ensemble presents an all time high of 42 performances throughout NYC!

YDR is elected to membership in the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.

YDR is named a Community Asset by the New York Foundation for the Arts.

The first year of our annual Summer Arts Program with the Marco Rizo Latin American Music Project.




1998 - Back to the top
YDR receives a $10.000 grant award, for its program A Century of Culture: Understanding our past... Living the present... Creating Our Future, as part of SNAP (Strengthening Neighborhood Assets Program) from the Citizens Committee for New York City.

YDR's inaugural television program with BCAT (Brooklyn Cable Access Television) airs.

Artistic/Executive Director, Carol Mezzacappa, receives the performing Arts Italian Heritage Award form Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes.



1999 - Back to the top
Arts-in-Education continues to expand exponentially.  YDR is awarded a 3 year Requirements Contract from the New York City Board of Education to offer direct services, Staff Development, and Teacher Training.  In the 1999-2000 school year, YDR worked with 14 schools, serving Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.  YDR is also awarded its first grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for its arts-in-education program in Community School District 20.

The Independence Community Foundation awards YDR a 2-year general operating grant for its educational activities with youth.

Students from YDR's Center for Dance Studies appear live on the nationally and internationally televised network program of Barbara Walters, The View. YDR receives a New York State Assembly Legislative Resolution on 4/26/99 for Children’s Awareness Month.

2000 - Back to the top
Artistic/Executive Director, Carol Mezzacappa, is named the University of Nebraska’s 2000 President’s Artist Scholar-in-Residence and 2000 Distinguished Lecturer for the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of Education.

YDR is invited to work with PASE – The Partnership for After School Education – in the newly-formed Model Program, The Learning Lab at M.S. 142. YDR was then invited to return and, finally, has had the program extended into 2001.

YDR’s Artistic/Executive Director, Carol Mezzacappa, serves as part of a panel of After School educators for PASE’s 6th annual Conference entitled Community Based Organizations: Partners and Pathways to Success.

YDR’s Artistic/Executive Director, Carol Mezzacappa, serves as a speaker for TASC (The After School Corporation) and PASE’s Core Knowledge Training Sessions.

YDR’s Artistic/Executive Director, Carol Mezzacappa, serves as part of a panel entitled Developing Arts-based After School Programs, at the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable’s Face to Face Conference.

YDR’s Director of Outreach Programs, Craig Gabrian, serves as the Chair of the Regrant Dance Panel for BAC/The Brooklyn Arts Council.

2001 - Back to the top

Touring Ensemble performs as part of the Dance Grand Prix Italia (Cesena, Italy ) in collaboration with the university of Nebraska at Omaha ’s Moving Company

YDR/Dance Consort’s Arts-in-Education activities are brought to Arts Are Basic in Lincoln, Nebraska and the A+ for Schools Program in South Dakota.

Dance Consort performs at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska as part of the Charles Weidman Centennial Celebration. Directors Carol Mezzacappa and Craig Gabrian receive the Key to the City of Lincoln , Nebraska from Mayor Dan Wesley. In addition, October 19, 2001 is named Charles Weidman Day in Lincoln; Dance Consort receives Proclamations from the Governor of Nebraska and the Mayor of Lincoln.

YDR is selected by JP Morgan Chase to partner with Radio City Music Hall and the Radio City Rockettes in an Arts-in-Education Mentoring Program. 100 YDR students from YDR’s Center for Dance Studies and YDR’s Arts-in-Education Partnerships participate in this program – JP Morgan Chase Celebrated Kids.

The October 2001 issue of Dance Magazine contains a feature article pertaining to YDR/Dance Consort’s Artistic Director, Carol Mezzacappa’s activities, in preserving the Weidman works.

YDR’s After School Partnerships double with course offerings in Community School District 20’s One World After School Centers (in collaboration with TASC – The After-School Corporation)

YDR’s Artistic/Executive Director, Carol Mezzacappa is named Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha . She also becomes part of the Faculty of the José Limón Dance Institute in Manhattan.

2002 - Back to the top

Touring Ensemble performs at the United Nations and shares the stage with Nelson Mandela, among other dignitaries.

Touring Ensemble performs at the South Street Seaport in New York City.

YDR receives a $50,000 Arts Recovery Grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts to help defray costs incurred/lost as a result of the September 11^th tragedy.

YDR/JP Morgan Chase/Radio City Music Hall Arts-in-Education/Mentoring program enters its second year.

The monthly dance periodical, Dance Teacher Now, highlights YDR/Dance Consort’s activities in two different issues.

YDR is approved to offer Professional Development Workshops and Seminars for The After-School Corporation (TASC) for after school service providers. YDR now provides Professional Development Programs for the New York City Board of Education and PASE – the Partnership for After School Education, as well as TASC.

YDR receives a $5,000 grant from the Rudin Foundation towards the on-going success of Dancing Through Brooklyn Parks.

YDR receives a $5,000 grant from the O’Neill Foundation towards our strategic plan associated with our pending renovation/expansion project.

2003 - Back to the top

Touring Ensemble performs at the Easter Eggstravaganza in Central Park’s Bandshell, reaching about 3,000 audience members.

YDR receives a generous grant from the Dana Foundation to offer Professional Development to New York City school teachers.

YDR/JP Morgan Chase/Radio City Music Hall Arts-in-Education/Mentoring program enters its third year.

YDR becomes Professional Trainer for TASC – The After School Corporation.

2004 - Back to the top

YDR loses its founding director. Carol Mezzacappa passes away from cancer in October.

2005 - Back to the top

Touring Ensemble and Center for Dance Studies students perform a VALENTINE CONCERT for Carol Mezzacappa at Beacon I.S. 220.

Touring Ensemble, Center for Dance Studies students and Beacon program students perform at the annual Spring Performance at Beacon I.S. 220.

Summer Arts program held at Beacon I.S. 220.

Touring Ensemble perform at the Waterfront Festival, 58^th Street Pier in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Touring Ensemble perform original pieces at Regina Opera in Brooklyn for it’s presentation of ‘Die Fledermaus’ for 1000 audience members.

Touring Ensemble, Center for Dance Studies students and Beacon program students perform at the annual Holiday Performance at Beacon I.S. 220.

2006 - Back to the top

Touring Ensemble perform at Banco Popular in Sunset Park, Brooklyn as part of the ‘Three Kings Day Celebration’.

Touring Ensemble, Center for Dance Studies students and Beacon program students perform at the annual Spring Performance at Beacon I.S. 220.

Summer Arts program held at Beacon I.S. 220.

Touring Ensemble, Center for Dance Studies students and Beacon program students perform at the annual Holiday Performance at Beacon I.S. 220.

YDR receives funds from CON EDISON.

YDR receives funds from TARGET for its Summer Arts Program.

2007 - Back to the top

Touring Ensemble perform at Banco Popular in Sunset Park, Brooklyn as part of the ‘Three Kings Day Celebration’.

YDR receives a grant from the DANA Foundation for Professional Development.

Touring Ensemble performs at Harbor Hill Senior Residence & at Shore Hill Senior Center.

Touring Ensemble, Center for Dance Studies students and Beacon program students perform at the annual Spring Performance at Beacon I.S. 220.

Summer Arts program held at Beacon I.S. 220.

Touring Ensemble performs at Owlshead Park for the VIKING FEST.

Touring Ensemble performs at the NYC AQUARIUM as part of Assemblyman Felix Ortiz’ CHILD AWARENESS MONTH.

Friends of Sunset Park & YDR host the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in August.

Touring Ensemble performs at Sunset Park Waterfront Festival in September.

YDR receives funding from Dept of Youth & Community Development for its own after-school program.

Touring Ensemble and Center for Dance Studies students perform at the annual Holiday Performance at Beacon I.S. 220.

2008 - Back to the top

YDR’s OST After–school program @ P.S. 127 begins.