For six years, funding from Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale has helped make the Princess Program possible at the National Institute of Arts, giving young dancers in St. Maarten the chance to begin ballet training at no cost. Art Saves Lives is proud to help sustain the partnership and the opportunity it creates for children to learn, grow in confidence, and experience the joy of dance.
See How the Princess Program Began
Creating a First Step into Ballet
The Princess Program began with an initiative from Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale Founder and Director Ana Dimas. She reached out through Art Saves Lives Founder and President Nicole de Weever with an offer to fund ballet classes for children in St. Maarten and donate the ballerina outfits she calls "princess dresses." That generosity brought Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale, the National Institute of Arts (NIA), and Art Saves Lives together around a shared purpose.
The first gift funded 10 classes and provided 25 dresses. When the children reached the end of those classes, NIA continued teaching them through the rest of the school year. Inspired by their enthusiasm and the school's commitment, Dimas expanded her support, donating 46 dresses for the following group while funding continued to help keep the program free.
Now spanning six years, the Princess Program has created a lasting first step into ballet for hundreds of students in St. Maarten. Children between the ages of three and nine have received weekly classes at no cost, along with ballerina dresses that remove another barrier that might otherwise have kept a child from taking her first class.
From Introduction to Lasting Opportunity
The Princess Program was designed to offer more than a single experience. By giving children a welcoming first year in ballet, the collaboration helped NIA build a foundation of young dancers who could continue into the school's level-based training program.
NIA Director Arlene Halley celebrated the way the initiative encouraged both students and their parents to remain involved after the free introductory year. What began as an invitation to try ballet became a sustainable investment in arts education on St. Maarten and a pathway for young dancers to keep developing their technique, discipline, and confidence.
The Best Things in Life Are Not for Sale
Ana Dimas founded Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale around a simple belief: the best things in life should be given away. Through collaborations with dance studios around the world, the nonprofit funds access to ballet and shares its joy with children in need and children with special needs.
Meet Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale
The Princess Program puts that belief into action. Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale's funding and donated dresses give each child the opportunity to learn new skills, build a positive self-image, and see herself as a "princess," not only through the dress she wears, but through the confidence and possibility she discovers in the studio.
For the 2022–2023 school year, Dimas donated 50 lilac dresses to NIA. The new color continued a tradition that began with pink dresses in the program's first year and blue dresses in its second.
A Dream Realized Through Dance and Music
The previous group of young ballerinas closed its year with a special performance set to "The Blue Danube," accompanied live by NIA's Chamber Orchestra. The collaboration between NIA's dance and music students was an emotional moment for the school and a vivid example of what sustained access to the arts can make possible.
Art Saves Lives is proud to have helped connect Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale with the National Institute of Arts and to support the partnership. We are deeply grateful to Ana Dimas and Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale for funding an initiative that has brought joy, confidence, and meaningful arts education into the lives of St. Maarten's children for six years.
With Thanks To
Bronxville Ballet Not For Sale · Ana Dimas · National Institute of Arts · NIA Director Arlene Halley · Nicole de Weever · Art Saves Lives · the participating students and their families