Dear Ballet Des Moines Friends and Family,
 
It is with great pride we announce our Dance Without Limits (DWOL) program will become its very own non-profit (501c3) organization beginning November 24, 2015. DWOL was formed in 2009 after Ballet Des Moines enthusiast and volunteer, Monika Peltz, approached Ballet Des Moines with the idea to provide dance classes to children and young adults with special needs. Enthusiastic about the idea of expanding dance education in the Des Moines community, Ballet Des Moines adopted DWOL as a program under its umbrella. Under the direction of Monika and Ann Ungs, the program has flourished beyond what we could have ever expected.
 
Today, DWOL holds two different, ten-week sessions where professional instructors and volunteers lead one-hour classes, once a week. However, the demand from the community continues to grow and with that, so must DWOL. While we would love to grow DWOL and Ballet Des Moines together under the Ballet Des Moines umbrella, our professional ballet company is still in its infancy, much like DWOL. In order for both Ballet Des Moines and DWOL to sustain and grow, we have decided that it is time for DWOL to become its own separate non-profit organization.
 
Ballet Des Moines and DWOL will continue to maintain a close partnership as we share a common goal - providing superior dance education to people of all ages. DWOL participants will continue to receive tickets to Ballet Des Moines performances and we know our Ballet Des Moines dancers will continue to volunteer and support the program as it has been an immensely rewarding experience for them.
 
We are extremely confident the strong foundation DWOL has built over the last 6 years will support its future success under the continued direction of Monika and Ann, along with the support of their many volunteers.
 
We cannot thank you enough for your support of Ballet Des Moines and DWOL. Through your support, we're able to provide superior dance education and performances in Des Moines and Iowa in ways we never imagined when Ballet Des Moines was founded just 13 years ago.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Tom Smull, Ballet Des Moines Board President
Monika Peltz & Ann Ungs, DWOL Directors
121 S. 11th St., Suite 100
West Des Moines, IA 50265