DANCE INSTITUTE
COMMUNITY HUB
Welcome Dancers & Caregivers!
This space provides a space for updates and information about upcoming performances, workshops, and classes; it is a place for parents, caregivers, and students to stay updated on rehearsals, class announcements, volunteer, and practice materials.
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CLICK HERE » Get real-time announcements, updates and instant connection. Opt into our WhatsApp Community and find your class chat(s).
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CLICK HERE» Learn more about our organization — a birds eye view and some history too!
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CLICK HERE » Sign up for volunteer shifts, help with bite-sized tasks, give back to your Caravan Community. Many hands make light work!
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CLICK HERE » Class Schedule Google Calendar
The Vanaver Caravan WhatsApp Community
We are excited to experiment with this new communication tool and welcome your feedback as we learn what works best for everyone. Our WhatsApp Community is designed to help our Dance Institute stay informed and connected.
It is a place where students, parents, caregivers, faculty, and staff can easily receive updates, ask questions, and celebrate the many happenings across The Vanaver Caravan in real time!
How Chats Are Organized
Chats are organized by program, class, or topic to help everyone find the information they need quickly.
You will notice emojis and year markers that help identify the program season:
🌲= Year-round (aka “evergreen”) chats
🌷26 = SpringDance Semester 2026
🌞26 = Summer Programs 2026 (SummerDance, CaravanKids)
🍂26 = FallDance Semester 2026
❄️26 = WinterDance Semester 2026
These markers help distinguish between different sessions and programs throughout the year.
Class Chats
Each class has its own private class chat where teachers and staff can share:
• rehearsal reminders
• schedule updates
• costume information
• practice materials
• quick announcements
Class chats are private to that class community, but visible within the broader WhatsApp Community structure.
Parents and caregivers are welcome to join their child’s class chat so that everyone stays informed and connected.
Community-Wide Chats
In addition to class chats, there are several open community chats that anyone in the Caravan community may join:
Community Bulletin
A space for general updates, reminders, and helpful information.Announcements
Important organizational announcements from The Vanaver Caravan.Upcoming Performances
Information about shows, events, ticket links, and opportunities to gather as a community.
Community Agreements
The Vanaver Caravan is built on the belief that the arts create community. This space reflects the same values we bring into our classrooms and performances.
We ask everyone participating here to help uphold our shared culture by practicing:
Kindness and respect
Thoughtful communication
Generosity of spirit
Support for one another’s creativity and growth
Please remember that this space includes students, families, and staff. Let’s keep conversations welcoming and constructive.
Questions & Feedback
This WhatsApp Community is part of a new chapter in how we communicate together, and we are learning as we go. If you have suggestions, questions, or ideas about how this space can better serve the community, we would love to hear from you.
WhatsApp Community F.A.Q.
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The Vanaver Caravan Dance Institute WhatsApp Community is a place where students, families, and faculty can stay connected and receive updates about classes, rehearsals, performances, and community happenings.
Instead of important information getting lost in email threads, WhatsApp helps us share quick updates and reminders in one organized place.
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You can join right here!
Additionally, after you register for a class, you will receive an invitation to join the Dance Institute WhatsApp Community.
Joining is optional, but we highly recommend opting in so you can easily stay up to date with reminders, announcements, and class information.
You may leave a chat or the whole community at any time.
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Yes. WhatsApp accounts are connected to phone numbers.
Your phone number is only visible to people in chats you share, similar to a normal group text.
If you prefer, you can adjust your privacy settings in WhatsApp to control what information others see.
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The community includes several types of chats:
Announcements
Important updates from The Vanaver Caravan Dance Institute.Community Forum
A space for families to connect, ask questions, and share relevant events or opportunities.Private Class Chats
Each class has its own chat for rehearsal reminders, schedule updates, and class information.Volunteers for Performances
Coordination for families who want to help with upcoming shows.
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No.
Important information will still be shared by email when needed.
WhatsApp is mainly used for:
• reminders
• quick updates
• rehearsal information
• community connection -
You control your own notifications.
You can mute chats or adjust notification settings if needed.
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Yes, depending on the chat.
Class chats and the Community Forum are places where families can ask questions and share helpful information.
We ask that posts stay aligned with the values and spirit of The Vanaver Caravan.
The Vanaver Caravan is a Hudson Valley–based nonprofit dance and music organization with deep local roots and a wide-reaching impact. While many families first meet us through our Dance Institute, TVC is actually a multi-faceted organization with a long history of bringing people together through movement, music, and shared cultural experience.
WELCOME TO THE VANAVER CARAVAN
The Dance Institute
Our Dance Institute is the heart of our local, year-round programming. It offers classes, workshops, and performance opportunities for children, teens, and adults of all experience levels. Students train in a supportive, inclusive environment and participate in seasonal performances that emphasize creativity, collaboration, and joy. For many families, this is their home base with TVC.
Arts Education School Programs
For more than 30 years, TVC has run beloved, multi-generational arts education programs in public and private schools throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond. Our teaching artists work with students from Pre-K through high school, using dance and music from cultures around the world to support learning, empathy, and connection. (And yes, we’re always excited to meet new teaching artists who want to be part of this work.
A Professional Touring Company
Alongside our local programs, TVC is also a professional touring company with a 54+ year legacy of performance, cultural exchange, and peace advocacy. Founded in the early 1970s, the company has performed nationally and internationally, presenting dance and music traditions from around the world in theaters, festivals, schools, and community spaces. This professional work feeds directly into our educational mission and inspires the next generation of dancers and musicians.
Our Mission
“Recognizing that the arts often communicate what words fail to express, the mission of The Vanaver Caravan is to inspire, through dance and music, the harmonious co-existence of world cultures and traditions, to promote peace and celebrate our humanity.”
Whether your family is here for weekly classes, performances, school programs, or simply to be part of a vibrant arts community, you’re joining an organization that believes the arts are a powerful tool for building connection, empathy, and belonging.
VOLUNTEER
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Every moment on stage is supported by many hands behind the scenes.
Volunteering with The Vanaver Caravan is one of the most meaningful ways to be part of our community. It is how beautiful performances come to life, how institutional knowledge is shared, and how families build lasting connections with one another.
Whether you have a few hours, a particular skill to share, or simply a willingness to help, there is a place for you here.
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The Vanaver Caravan is a family- and education-driven nonprofit rooted in connection, creativity, and shared experience. When you volunteer, you help create art that brings people together across generations and cultures.
Many families begin volunteering because their child dances with the Caravan. What often surprises them is how much they gain in return.
Volunteering is a way to:
meet other parents and families
feel connected to the work happening behind the scenes
build friendships and community
help create something joyful and meaningful
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Throughout the year, the Vanaver Caravan Dance Institute moves through seasonal cycles of classes, rehearsals, and community gatherings. Each season culminates in a performance or special event where many volunteer opportunities take place.
Volunteers help in many ways, from welcoming audiences and assisting dancers backstage to supporting costumes, bake sales, merchandise tables, and event setup or cleanup.
If you are able, we invite each family to contribute 2–10 hours of volunteer time per dance season in a role that feels comfortable.
❄️ WinterDance (January–March)
DanceFest
March’s vibrant community dance celebration bringing together dancers ages 9–18 from many schools and styles to share the stage.🍄 SpringDance (March–May)
Beltane
May’s whimsical outdoor festival and pageant celebrating the arrival of spring through dance, music, storytelling, and community ritual. All Dance Institute dancers are invited to perform.☀️ SummerDance (July–August)
Variety Showcase
Our joyful end-of-summer performance where students ages 9–18 share the work and discoveries from SummerDance. The performance takes place on the final day of the workshops.🍂 FallDance (September–December)
HarvestFest
An autumn FUNdraiser at Stone Ridge Orchard featuring apples, pumpkins, food, drink, dance, and music.Into the Light
December’s winter storytelling performance exploring how cultures celebrate light, hope, and togetherness. All Dance Institute dancers are invited to perform. -
You can volunteer in the same role each season or try something new. No prior experience is required.
✨ Class Parent
One per class. Helps share updates with families and serves as a point person for performance logistics.✨ Hall Monitor
Supports classes at Mountain Laurel by helping with transitions and keeping shared spaces calm and organized.✨ Kid Wranglers / Dressers
Two per class. Assist dancers during performances, help with costume changes, and escort groups backstage.✨ Merchandise & Information Tables
Help with setup, greeting audiences, sales, and breakdown before and after performances.✨ Bake Sale Team
Bake items, help with table setup, and take sales shifts during the event.✨ Program Sponsors & Ad Sales
Support our printed programs by reaching out to local businesses.✨ Ushers / Greeters / Program Distributors
Welcome audiences, hand out programs, and help people find their seats.✨ Costumes
Help make, mend, label, or organize costumes.✨ Props, Sets & Puppets
Assist with building, repairing, organizing, or maintaining sets and puppets.✨ Show Set-Up & Breakdown Crews
Help prepare the space before the performance and restore it afterward. -
If you are able, we invite each family to consider contributing 2–10 hours of volunteer time per dance season.
This might look like:
helping with one short show-day shift
assisting with set-up or breakdown
baking something for a bake sale
helping sew or repair costumes
reaching out to a local business for program sponsorship
Some volunteers enjoy helping every season. Others pick one event each year. Every contribution helps.
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Our Volunteer Coordinators help match people with roles that feel comfortable and enjoyable.
Each season, we send out a short Google Survey where families can indicate:
which roles interest them
their availability
any special skills they may want to share
From there, volunteers are contacted with simple instructions for their role. We’ll let you know where to go, who to check in with, what your role is, etc.
TO BEGIN, FILL OUT THE SURVEY BELLOW.
Join the Village
You do not need special skills or a lot of time. Just a willingness to help and a love for community, creativity, or both. Volunteering with The Vanaver Caravan is a way to support your child, connect with other families, and help create something beautiful together.
Thank you for being part of the Caravan Community. 💛
We’re rethinking our mission, and we want your input. After months of big-picture conversations about governance, growth, and sustainability, a new way of seeing the Caravan has emerged. It involves a tree, a train, a garden, and an ecosystem that only thrives when many voices shape it. Curious? Read more and tell us what this organization means to you.