NEF has awarded a 2025 Teacher Innovation Grant to support an exciting enhancement to the Newton High School Dance Program. Dance teacher Alainna Evans received $2,674 to purchase professional Marley flooring – an industry‑standard performance surface that will elevate both the safety and quality of student productions.
More than 150 students in grades 9–12 participate in dance at Newton High School each year. Until now, performances have taken place on the auditorium’s standard stage surface, which can be slick and unsafe for dancers. With this grant, the program has acquired five rolls of portable Marley flooring, a durable, non‑slip surface designed specifically for ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary dance.
Evans shared that the primary goal of the project is to provide a proper dance floor for performances and ensure students can dance confidently without risk of slipping. The flooring will be rolled out and taped down for each show, then stored for future use – an investment that will benefit the program for years to come.
The new flooring debuted during a December 2025 performance and will continue to be used for all subsequent winter and spring shows. See a student performer trying out the new flooring in the video below.
This is Evans’s second NEF Teacher Innovation Grant; she previously received funding in 2024 for dance costumes. Her continued efforts highlight the growing strength of the fine arts program at Newton High School and NEF’s commitment to supporting creative learning experiences.
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