Past Events
2024 Event of the Year
Poetry in Motion
At the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the children of California Dance Institute celebrated poetry through dance and spoken word with “Poetry in Motion: the Power of Words”
2023 Event of the Year
Mother Earth
At the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the children of California Dance Institute staged another exciting Event of the Year. This year's event featured the children dancing to the Songs of the Sea!
2022 Event of the Year
Mother Earth
Enjoy the California Dance Institute's return to live performances post-COVID. Our theme for the 2022 Event of the Year was "Mother Earth," and the children danced their hearts out. Everyone was enthused to return to performing on stage, TOGETHER!
2021 Virtual Event of the Year
A More Perfect Union!
Our 2nd annual Virtual End of Year Performance includes appearances by John Lithgow, Alisa Reyes and CDI family and friends.
2020 Virtual Event of the Year
We the People
We danced about democracy at the 2020 California Dance Institute’s virtual Event of the Year.
Adele Diamond
A Joyous Celebration for Ideas, Arts, Science, and Efforts to make the world a better place.
Neuroscientist Adele Diamond speaks about the CDI program's positive effects on the developing brain
2018 Event of the Year
We Love You, California!
2016 Event of the Year
From Sea to Shining Sea
West Side, Moss Theater, Santa Monica
East Side, Clifton Middle School Theater, Monrovia
Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala
Saturday, September 10, 2016 California Dance Institute Performed at the Star-Studded Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala.
2015 Summer Camp
In 2015, California Dance Institute joined forces with New Roads School to produce a three week Performing Arts Summer Camp. The program focused on the fundamentals of dance, drama, storytelling and collaboration. A culminating performance took place in the Moss Theater, enjoyed by family, friends and community.
2015 Event of the Year
Around the World with CDI
Enjoy these clips from the California Dance Institute 2015 Events of the Year. These are short clips from the West Side show at the Moss Theater in the Herb Alpert Village in Santa Monica, CA and the East Side show at the Louise K. Taylor Theater in Monrovia, CA.
2015 CDI Goes to Greece
Children had class two hours a day, culminating in a performance in the charming outdoor Lefkes Amphitheater accompanied by musicians from the jazz academy. The performance demonstrated the energetic, child-friendly style of dance and teaching of the California Dance Institute. The children performed to jazz favorites Thelonius Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t” and “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In,” which led beautifully into a favorite Paros island tune for their final piece, illustrating the cross-cultural hopes of the founder and director of CDI, Ms. Valleskey. “The children here in Lefkes are like the town, charming and full of life. I so enjoyed working with them.”
CDI took it’s programming to the cradle of civilization!A dozen children in the village of Lefkes on the island of Paros in Greece participated in a 10-day workshop with Artistic Director Carole Valleskey in collaboration with the Paros Jazz Academy, an international jazz summer workshop held annually on the Greek island of Paros.
2014 Event of the Year
Space
Enjoy a sampling of the dances performed by Los Angeles area school students for the California Dance Institute's 2014 Event of the Year. Featuring 250 children from Los Angeles Area Public Schools, the show was an exploration of outer space through live music and dance!