Dance and Dialogue

About Us

Dance and Dialogue is a non-profit arts organization founded on the belief that dance is a tool for communication, which promotes personal and social change to create a better future for everyone in our community and beyond! The program is based on the joys of dance, sharing, and self-expression, and looks to break down the barriers of preconceived differences by eliminating the fear of others. As participants share their stories, they discover that in self-expression combined with art, they gain empathy and self-confidence. All programs are free. We work with all demographics, but particularly with the most at-risk communities. We do this through the use of social emotional practices, evidence-based social skills, and mindfulness - all in combination with art forms such as dance, poetry, drum circles, spoken word, art, theater, and sign language. Dance and Dialogue has been featured in The Atlantic, Good Day LA, Spectrum News 1 and more, and has been recognized by the Dance Resource Center of Los Angeles, the Violence Prevention Coalition of Los Angeles for community leadership and engagement, and former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“In my 21 years as an educator, I have to credit Ricka Kelsch and her Dance and Dialogue program as being the most thoughtful and appropriate program for the children of this generation… They have discovered a platform for speaking about problems and solutions in a judgment free zone. Our students have accepted the power to make changes to their world and the world of others.”