Kern Dance Alliance: A Decade of Movement, Meaning, and Momentum

How a Volunteer-Led Arts Organization is Expanding Access, Education, and Opportunity Through Dance Across Kern County

Published: Dec. 31, 2025 | Feature photo credit: Janae Peters, J. Peter’s Agency

In Kern County, lasting change is often built quietly by people who understand the value of arts and culture. Kern Dance Alliance (KDA) has spent the last decade doing exactly that.

For 10 years, KDA has been a fully volunteer-powered nonprofit that treats dance not as an extracurricular but as an engine for education, inclusion, economic development, and joy. And as the organization looks toward 2026, its impact is only accelerating.

To learn about what’s in store for 2026, we sat down with the founding 2015 board member and now President of KDA, Marcie Hronis.

Meet The Woman Who’s Been There Since The Beginning

Credit: Nancy Miller with Posh Creative

Hronis has been part of KDA since day one, watching it evolve from an idea into a deeply rooted community organization. “Watching KDA grow into the organization that it is today is just extraordinary,” she says. “We are so blessed to have a fantastic board and to have a fantastic community that supports us.”

Her connection to dance runs deep. A former classical ballerina of 23 years, she understands both the discipline and the broader impact of the art form. “There’s so much more to dance than just going into a studio,” she says. “What it can do for an individual, what it can do for a community, is astounding.”

Ten Years Of Service, All From The Heart

Credit: Janae Peters, J. Peter’s Agency

KDA’s reach over the last decade is significant. “This course of 10 years, we served over 200,000 people,” Hronis says. “And we’ve raised over 6 million dollars, and it has gone directly back into our community.”

That work is powered entirely by volunteers. “We are an all-volunteer organization,” she says. “We always have been, and we always will be. Not a single one of us gets paid a dime. We want it that way.”

For Hronis, that structure is intentional. “We are an organization that serves from the heart,” she says. “It’s been an absolute joy to be in this for the last 10 years, and we’re really excited for the next 10 years.”

Building A Future For Dance Education

Credit: Janae Peters, J. Peter’s Agency

One of KDA’s most impactful milestones was recently launched at California State University, Bakersfield: the single-subject teaching credential in dance.

“This is something we’ve been working on for a long time,” Hronis says. “We were in the grassroots efforts back in 2016, working at a state level.”

The credential is tied to Prop 28 funding and establishes dance as a subject requiring specialized training. “In the past, only art had to have teaching credentials,” she says. “That’s why you had PE teachers teaching dance or theater teachers incorporating dance into their programs.”

KDA played a direct role in shaping the program. “KDA was instrumental in writing the curriculum for the CSUB dance credentialing program,” Hronis says. “We have dance educators on our board.”

The impact is already visible. “Enrollment is currently open,” she says. “We’ve already had the first cohort go through the program.”

For Kern County, the opportunity is substantial. “Annually, Kern County alone receives [millions of dollars] a year through Prop 28,” Hronis says. “If you graduate with a dance credential, there are jobs waiting on the outside.”

Books In Motion Brings Stories To Life

Credit: Janae Peters, J. Peter’s Agency

As KDA enters its second decade, one of its most beloved programs is celebrating a major milestone. Books in Motion®: DANCE + LITERACYis going into its 10th year,” Hronis says. “We’re celebrating 10 years of inspiring literacy through the arts.”

The program invites families to local libraries to experience children’s books performed through dance. “The families are invited to the Kern County libraries to see children’s books brought to life,” she says.

The reach is wide. “For the past nine years, we have offered over 63 titles to our community,” Hronis says. “This past summer alone, we gave away over 5,000 books, totally free.”

Performances span the entire county. “We had over fifty performances in 30 days,” she says, “from Boron to Taft to Delano to every Bakersfield library.”

For year 10, expectations are high. “It’s coming back bigger, better, faster, and stronger than anyone is going to expect,” Hronis says.

National Dance Day Makes Its Return

After a two-year pause, National Dance Day is officially coming back. “We’re bringing National Dance Day back on Saturday, September 19th,” Hronis says.

The event will take place at the Dignity Health Arena, Theater, & Convention Center and will feature classes, workshops, and performances. “National Dance Day really focuses on celebrating all movers,” she says.

Interest is already building. “A lot of people are excited to hear that we’re bringing it back,” Hronis says. “We’re already communicating with artists to book them.”

ADAPTIdance, Created With Purpose

Credit: Janae Peters, J. Peter’s Agency

“I was the creator of Adaptive Dance nine years ago,” Hronis says. “So when I say this program is near and dear to my heart, words cannot explain how fantastic it is.”

ADAPTIdance is an inclusive program designed for children with physical and intellectual disabilities. Originally offered once a year, families asked for more. “They came to us and said, ‘We want more, and we want to pay for it,’” she says.

That request reshaped the program. “Now we have a paid program that runs from August to December,” Hronis says, “and the free program is still offered through League of Dreams.”

Last year marked a major milestone. “We gave the ADAPTIdancers an entire performance all to themselves,” she says. “It was called Defying Gravity.”

The leadership behind the program reflects its impact. “Myka Steele started as a volunteer,” Hronis says. “She became an intern, then a board member, and loved adaptive dance so much that she changed her college major to special education.”

The results are deeply moving. “You have never seen joy in dance until you see these children dance,” Hronis says.

SHINE Turns Math Into Movement

Another standout initiative is SHINE, KDA’s math-through-dance program. “SHINE is math plus dance equals success,” Hronis says.

The program uses movement and kinesiology to teach math concepts to middle school students. “Kids come in with D’s and F’s,” she says. “Once they understand math in a kinesthetic way, they’re coming out with A’s.”

KDA closely tracks outcomes. “We are data collectors,” Hronis says. “The data coming out of the SHINE program is absolutely extraordinary.”

SHINE programs are planned for Bakersfield, Delano, and Valley Oaks Charter School throughout 2026. “All of the Bakersfield and Delano programs are open to the community,” she says. “And they’re free.”

Looking Ahead

KDA recently launched the Central California Arts + Humanities Endowment Fund, a new effort focused on supporting the long-term vitality of arts and culture across Central California. Managed in part by KDA alongside the Kern Community Foundation, the endowment is designed to strengthen local artists, organizations, and community-based cultural programs for years to come.

With more announcements coming in the 2026 season brochure, Hronis is clear about KDA’s direction.

“We are so blessed to have a dynamic, focused board,” she says. “When the community asks for something, we produce.”After 10 years, Kern Dance Alliance continues to prove what’s possible when movement meets mission. “It’s been an absolute joy,” Hronis says. “And we’re really excited for what’s next.”