History of the Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble
Our Philosophy
View the TCDE feature story in CityView Magazine.
After 40 years of dance excellence, the Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble (TCDE) performed their last concert at their Farewell Gala event on April 10, 2022 and The Lighthouse in Knoxville, Tennessee. Artistic Director, Irena Linn, and Assistant Director, Amy Renee Wilson, led one last exquisite performance. Current and former members gathered together to share memories and fellowship over the three-day farewell event.
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The Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble's goal was to prove a child's capacity to match a professional level of artistry. It was the Ensemble’s mission to provide opportunities for children to excel in dance and to teach children that only through hard work, dedication, and a heightened sense of discipline was this excellence possible, something that had never been done or believed could be done before. The result was 40 years of children performing modern dance masterpieces on stage and creating their own masterpieces in life and will now continue with the legacy of the TCDE.
Our mission was…
To function as a professional modern dance company, setting a high standard of excellence in dance using artists 8-17 years of age.
To assist local and state tourism and chamber of commerce officials in recruiting corporations to locate within our area.
To represent the State of Tennessee, the nation, and the world as dancing Ambassadors of Goodwill. To pursue excellence by aggressively marketing itself to family audiences using TCDE's unique young dancers as positive role models for children worldwide.
To assure that every child, regardless of financial ability, could participate in and attend Ensemble performances.
To do all of the above in a positive atmosphere that empowered children to make meaningful decisions, taught them to be honorable people, and gave them problem-solving skills that prepared them to be future leaders.
To be a resource for educators and the general public by producing performances that raise the expectation of excellence in dance.
Our Inspiration
Of every great artist, it can be said that they saw the world in a uniquely different way. And so it was with the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble's founder, Dr. Dorothy Floyd, when, more than four decades ago, she envisioned children achieving artistic excellence equal to adults.
"You are a dancer...a divine light. You must make a difference. It must come from your spirit. If you do not feel love when you dance, no one else will." —Dr. Dorothy Floyd.
Thank you for supporting the Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble for 40 years of dance excellence.
Parade Magazine calls TCDE a “national treasure”
