Grantee Database
Santa Barbara Dance Institute
Grant Year
2026-27
Grant Program
Arts and Youth
Award Amount
$17,500.00
Project Description
With support from California Arts Council, Santa Barbara Dance Institute will provide free, culturally responsive dance education to 550 underserved youth across 426 classes in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Isla Vista, communities where barriers of poverty, language, and disability limit access to quality arts experiences. Dance education will be offered at Goleta Union School District sites through a Summer Dance Camp for TK–6 students from nine Title I schools, after-school programs at six sites, in-school preschool programs, and at Storyteller Children’s Center for toddlers and preschoolers. All programming is free, bilingual in English and Spanish, and grounded in Universal Design for Learning, ensuring full participation for youth with IEPs, in foster care, or experiencing homelessness. CAC funds will support teaching artists, staff, and program operations to expand equitable access to high-quality arts education.
Organization Summary
Santa Barbara Dance Institute was founded in 2005 by Rosalina Macisco with the belief that high-quality dance education belongs to everyone, regardless of income, zip code, or ability. For twenty years, SBDI has delivered free, inclusive dance programming directly to low-income, Latinx, and underserved individuals through community schools, early childhood centers, public libraries, and senior care facilities across Santa Barbara County.
From toddlers to older adults, SBDI believes movement is a lifelong right. Children – the majority low-income, Latinx, and underserved – receive free creative movement and dance through in-school and after-school programs. Classes build artistic skill alongside social-emotional learning, confidence, and cultural pride. All programming is inclusive of children with IEPs and disabilities, taught in English and Spanish, with Latin cultural rhythms woven throughout to appreciate the heritage of the families served. During the 2024–2025 school year, SBDI delivered 606 classes, serving 221 children. Surveys show that 85% of children improved in behavior and 89% developed critical life skills.
A longitudinal study found that more than 28 of the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets improved in SBDI students.
SBDI’s Professional Development Program trains educators and staff at under-resourced schools and community organizations to integrate dance into their teaching, building internal capacity for an affordable, sustainable path to arts education that reaches children who would otherwise not have access. In 2024–2025, we trained 17 teachers, impacting 200 children annually.
SBDI’s “Dance On” Creative Aging program brings free, bilingual dance and music experiences to older adults in senior centers, rehabilitation facilities, and memory care settings. Designed for all mobility and cognitive levels, including wheelchair users and those living with Alzheimer disease and dementia, Dance On supports mobility, memory, emotional expression, and social connection. In 2024–2025, Dance On served 150 seniors.
SBDI has enriched more than 30,000 lives across Santa Barbara County.
Organization
Santa Barbara Dance Institute
Address
1330 State St., Suite 207
Santa Barbara
93101
County
Santa Barbara
Region
Central Coast
Website
Congressional District
California's 24th Congressional District
State Assembly District
District 37
State Senate District
District 21
