Windfall Dancers hosted their first Windfall Celebration on Sunday at the Switchyard Park Pavilion. The event showcased five performances by the Windfall Dance Company, the Windfall School of Dance and Windfall partners Bloomington Expressive Arts Training (BEAT) and Dark Side Troupe.
Windfall Dancers, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1978, fosters creative movement and an active dance community in south-central Indiana. The organization offers classes, performances and outreach programs for all ages and abilities while providing studio space for other performing groups. The organization also serves as the fiscal sponsor for Dance for Parkinson’s.
The Windfall Dance Company is a semi-professional contemporary dance collective that selects members through open auditions. The company engages in outreach programs across Bloomington to inspire a passion for dance in the community.
Aaron Shin, a PhD student in chemistry at IU, is one of the dance choreographers at Windfall. He said he had danced as a child but drifted away from it for some time. After finding out about Windfall, which offers adult dance classes, he said he decided to return to ballet and auditioned for the company.
“It's nice to have a low stakes artistic outlet,” he said. “We're a semi-professional company, but none of us is earning our living here so it really makes a nice sense of community, and everybody wants to be here.”
Kay Olges, president of the board of directors for Windfall Dancers, said she has been involved with Windfall for 30 of its 47 years of existence.
Olges said she joined Windfall when her daughter was old enough to start dance classes. Having been a ballet dancer in the past, she ultimately chose to dance again and looked for a space that would welcome a mother-daughter experience. She said Windfall provided that opportunity, allowing her to begin dancing again alongside her daughter in beginner children's ballet.
She said Windfall is a unique organization, having existed for 47 years despite its small size. She said it stands out as one of the few places where adults can learn to dance at any level in various styles, including ballet, tap, hip-hop and contemporary.
“Windfall is my sanctuary. Dance is my sanctuary,” she said. “(Windfall) is a place where you walk in, and you feel accepted, and you feel that that sense of belonging in community. You feel welcomed.”
Sophia Fatouros, the school director at Windfall School of Dance, joined the organization in 2021. She is responsible for planning the class schedule and coordinating teachers for various courses. She said she also takes part in broader event planning and represents the school’s interests at Windfall’s board meetings.
Fatouros said she also oversees performances, including in-studio showcases at the end of semesters and larger productions at the Waldron Auditorium.
She said the Windfall Celebration was organized as both a fundraiser and a way to mark Windfall’s 47th anniversary, as well as the completion of long-awaited studio renovations at its 1101 N Dunn St. Location.
She said it also served as an opportunity to highlight Windfall’s impact on the community, showcasing its company, school, outreach programs and partnerships.
As a dance teacher, Fatouros said she finds great joy in instructing classes and getting to know the students at Windfall. She said the school welcomes a diverse range of dancers, from young children to teenagers and adults of all ages, including older adults and those who have never danced before.
“It's a very nurturing, non-competitive, friendly and warm atmosphere,” she said. “It's more like a community hub than a dance academy.”
Windfall Dancers opens its studio to other Bloomington dance organizations, including BEAT and Dark Side Troupe, fostering a collaborative community. In a show of support, BEAT and Dark Side Troupe joined the Windfall Celebration with their respective performances.
Windfall Dancers received a $10,000 grant in January from the National Endowment for the Arts to help support dance performances and educational workshops in rural Indiana over the next two years.
The organization hosts an annual fundraising cabaret during the fall. Olges said she hopes to establish the Windfall Celebration as a recurring event as well.
