Donate to J-DAPA in Rhode Island

We are proud to offer some of the most affordable dance, voice, and acting classes in our area, while maintaining a high standard of quality for both our instructors and curriculum. In addition, even though royalties for a popular musical might alone cost thousands of dollars (in addition to other production expenses), participants in our theatrical productions are not charged any fees. Private donations and grants help us to maintain our affordability despite our rising costs due to external factors. No donation is too small.

J-DAPA was founded in 1998 as “Thornton Dance and Performing Arts,” an after-school dance program at an elementary school in Johnston, RI. Our founder, Donna Tellier fell in love with dance at a young age, but her family often could not afford to enroll her in classes. She dreamed of creating a program that would give students the opportunity to learn and perform without breaking the bank – at Thornton, classes cost just $3 per week, and students’ families could attend a full-length recital at the end of the year for $5. All funds went back to the program, with a mission to improve the town’s high school auditorium.

Throughout the 2000s, the program continued to grow, offering acting and voice classes, and moving to the more centrally-located Johnston Senior High School to serve the broader community (including adults!). When the school’s drama program was cut in the early 2010s, J-DAPA even began producing musicals, making sure to keep ticket prices affordable so that families could experience live entertainment without breaking the bank. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced J-DAPA to shut its doors and leave Johnston High School for good, and we opened the doors of our own studio on October 18, 2021. Since relocating to our new studio in Smithfield, we have hosted guests from traveling Broadway productions and expanded our theatrical and educational offerings far beyond the scope of what was possible at our former home.