SECTION 1: WHY IDENTITY MATTERS

The Foundation of Everything

“In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.” — Erik Erikson, Child Psychoanalyst

Identity is not something a child is simply born with. It is built — through experience, through challenge, through discovery. A healthy identity gives a young person the inner architecture they need to navigate life: a strong sense of self, self-awareness, confidence, emotional resilience, healthy boundaries, and a growth mindset. These are not abstract qualities. They are the difference between a child who shrinks from the world and one who steps toward it.

Research and decades of lived experience tell us the same thing: the earlier we begin building this foundation, the stronger it becomes. The window of early childhood — ages 3 through 10 — is not simply a phase to get through. It is the most formative season of human life. What a child learns about themselves during these years shapes who they become.

At Ballet & Identity, Inc., we believe that ballet and the arts are among the most powerful tools available for this work — and that every child, regardless of background or income, deserves access to them.

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SECTION 2: WHY BALLET?

The Art That Builds the Person

Misty Copeland — the first African American Female Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre — has reflected on what ballet gave her:

“The artform of ballet filled in years of gap where I feel like I wasn’t maturing… It’s made me the woman that I am today. To be as empathetic as I am, as strong, as intelligent, as open, as loving and caring — I don’t think I could have become all of those things without classical ballet.”

Misty’s words are not unique to her. They echo what we have witnessed again and again in nearly two decades of work with young people: ballet does something no other art form does in quite the same way.

Classical dance — as it is taught throughout the world today — is largely rooted in the system devised by the great Russian ballet master Agrippina Vaganova and spread across generations by her students. It is a discipline of profound depth and precision, demanding presence, focus, order, and determination. It teaches the body and the mind simultaneously. It asks a child to be fully present — in their body, in the music, in the ensemble around them.

When a child learns to move with intention, they begin to think with intention. When they learn to hold a posture under pressure, they learn to hold themselves. When they perform on a stage — no matter how small the stage, no matter how young the child — they discover that they are capable of something beautiful.

This is not enrichment. This is education in its fullest sense.

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SECTION 3: THE BALLET & IDENTITY PROJECT

An Innovative Vision for Every Child

We are developing an innovative educational project — Ballet & Identity — designed to bring the transformative principles of classical ballet and the performing arts into the heart of every child’s education.

Through this immersion experience into the world of ballet and performing arts, children develop:

• Presence — the ability to be fully here, fully engaged, fully alive to the moment
• Focus — the discipline to stay with something difficult until it becomes beautiful
• Order — an understanding that structure and freedom are not opposites, but partners
• Determination — the quiet confidence that comes from working toward something and arriving
• Connection — with themselves, with their peers, with the world around them
• Creativity — the courage to express what is uniquely, irreducibly theirs

The Ballet & Identity project is rooted in the Vaganova method — one of the world’s most respected and comprehensive approaches to classical ballet training — adapted and made accessible for children of all backgrounds. We believe this knowledge, which has shaped some of the greatest dancers and most complete human beings in history, belongs not only in elite conservatories but in every community, every classroom, every child’s life.

We are in the process of developing this curriculum and invite educators, parents, community organizations, and funders to join us in making it a reality.

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SECTION 4: OUR STORY

Nearly Two Decades of Connection, Loss, and Discovery

Ballet & Identity, Inc. was not born in a boardroom. It was born beside a young man named Adam.

In 2007, co-founders Elena Alexandra — whose formal education is in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — and Lana David — with a background in Engineering and Information Technology — established Dance Into Unity, Inc. Adam, a beloved family member, had been diagnosed with autism, and they were searching for answers, for community, for a way to bridge the gap between his world and the world around him.

They found their answer in dance.

2006–2014: Dance Into Unity Between 2006 and 2014, Dance Into Unity staged dance productions in Los Angeles theatres and created workshops using movement as a bridge between people too often kept apart. In 2009, in collaboration with Unity in Diversity, Elena launched Magic of Tango — a weekly workshop for seniors in West Hollywood in the Art of Connection through Tango. Nearly 17 years later, this program still runs. Some things, once begun, simply do not stop.

2010: Adam & Cole — The Birth of Match-A-Friend In 2010, Adam suffered a seizure that left him badly hurt. Elena and Lana stepped in, bringing Adam to live with them and finding him a caregiver: Cole, a 22-year-old college student. Two people so different the world said they were never supposed to connect — and yet they did. Their friendship gave birth to Match-A-Friend: a program pairing young people with autism with neurotypical peers to discover the Art of Connection through dance.

The Match-A-Friend workshops were filmed by Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films into the documentary Through the Heart of Tango, which screened at national and international film festivals and was featured on television.

2013: The “Beautiful” Workshops In April 2013, in collaboration with Empower Autism Now, our nonprofit created the “Beautiful” workshop series at the Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica — using classical music and ballet fundamentals to connect youth with and without autism. The results were extraordinary: openness of expression, a surge of creativity, and what our founders described as an environment where “autism ceased to exist.” The workshops culminated in a ceremony at Santa Monica’s Miles Memorial Playhouse. In this 5-minute video, participants speak for themselves about what the experience meant to them. That event marked the beginning of what has since become the Ballet & Identity project.

2014: Adam’s Legacy On June 3, 2014, Adam passed away at the age of 20. He left behind something that could not be taken: proof that deep human connection across every kind of difference is possible, and that the arts make it real. His story later inspired the feature film Best Friend, directed by Travis Song, which premiered in China in December 2025. At the 2014 fundraiser announcing our name change to Autism Unites — featuring Robby Krieger of The Doors — Match-A-Friend participants Arman Khodaei and Valeria Velyka delivered a moving speech about what their friendship had meant to them.

Just months after Adam’s passing, Autism Unites partnered with the Culver City Police Department on a community safety event for individuals with autism and their families. The Chief of Police wrote: “Their commitment to improving the lives of people with autism is unmatched… I give the organization my highest recommendation.”

2019–2020: Jackie’s Journey Beginning in 2019, our founders began formally developing the concept of healthy identity formation for youth of all backgrounds. That year, we worked with Jackie, an 18-year-old foster youth, providing her with an internship and training in social media marketing during one of the most challenging periods of her life. Together we created the Jackie Journey Series — eight episodes on YouTube where Jackie speaks openly about her hardships, her dreams, and what it means to hold onto a healthy sense of self. Today, Jackie is married with two children and flourishing. Her videos continue to reach and inspire foster youth who find her story online. Jackie’s journey is our mission made visible.

2019–Present: Ballet & Identity Talks Since 2019, we have delivered Ballet & Identity Talks — free arts education presentations at LA Public Libraries, Jewish Family Service LA, and the City of West Hollywood — bringing world-class ballet to families, seniors, and lifelong learners who may not otherwise have access to the performing arts.

January 2026: A New Name, a Deeper Truth In January 2026, after nearly two decades of working with young people across the full spectrum of human experience, we renamed ourselves Ballet & Identity, Inc. The thread running through all of our work — autism awareness, connection, dance, community — was always identity. Every child needs to know who they are. We now dedicate ourselves fully to that truth.

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SECTION 5: OUR PROGRAMS TODAY

Where We Work

City of West Hollywood — Ballet & Theatre Arts As an official vendor and contractor to the City of West Hollywood Department of Parks & Recreation, we deliver professional weekly ballet (45 min) and theatre arts (45 min) classes for children ages 4–10. The City provides our facility, promotes our programs through their RecReader magazine and community mailings, and handles registration. Programs run in sessions of 10–12 classes, each ending in a student recital. Our Spring 2026 session saw ten children perform The Enormous Turnip — a moment their families will never forget.

“Their growth in confidence, language skills, stage presence, and ability to work together was clearly visible to everyone… It is remarkable to see how much the children have learned and achieved in just 12 lessons.” — Parent of Spring 2026 participants

Santa Monica Family YMCA — Youth Ballet Program In Spring 2026, we launched a 12-week Youth Ballet Program at the Santa Monica Family YMCA — the first of its kind at that facility. We served two age groups (ages 3–5 and 6–10), with a professional instructor and teaching assistant at every class, culminating in two full recitals. The YMCA’s Youth & Family Programs Coordinator, Kayla Blau, wrote:

“I highly recommend Ballet & Identity to potential funders, grant makers, and community partners without reservation. Their leadership, professionalism, and curriculum directly benefit youth development and enrich the communities they serve.”

We are building this into a permanent, long-term partnership.

Ballet & Identity Talks — Community Presentations Our ongoing free arts education series brings classical ballet to community venues across Los Angeles — including LA Public Libraries, Jewish Family Service LA, and the City of West Hollywood. These presentations are open to all, free of charge, as a community service.

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SECTION 6: JOIN US

Every Child Deserves to Know Who They Are

Ballet & Identity, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our programs are made possible through the generosity of foundations, individual donors, and community partners who believe — as we do — that the arts are not a luxury. They are a birthright.

Support our work and help ensure that every child, regardless of income or background, has access to the identity-building power of ballet and the arts.

Explore our programs. Join our community. Help us write the next chapter of this story.

1044 4th Street, Unit 106, Santa Monica, CA 90403 lana@balletandidentity.com · 310-717-6336 EIN: 51-0633357

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© Ballet & Identity, Inc. Formerly Dance Into Unity, Inc. / Autism Unites, Inc.