Applauding 30 Years of DMPA’s Applause Series

The 2025-26 season marks the 30th anniversary of DMPA’s Applause Series, which engages over 35,000 students from pre-K through high school annually.

The Applause Series offers a diverse range of one-hour live performances during the school day. Each performance – including plays, music, dance, storytelling and beyond – connects to in-class curriculum, providing teachers with new ways to achieve larger academic objectives. Students return to school with the ability to view classroom topics through a creative lens.

“For 30 years, the Applause Series has been a cornerstone of DMPA’s programming,” said Karoline Myers, director of education with DMPA. “The series has grown and evolved over the years, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to cultivating meaningful experiences for young people that spark new connections between how they view themselves and their place in the larger world.”

James, a first grader from Waukee, shared, “We read ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!’ in our classroom, and it was fun to go to the Civic Center and see it as a play.”

Donor-driven support keeps the cost of student tickets to just $1 each, making the arts more accessible to all. Since its start during the 1995-96 school year, the Applause Series has welcomed 960,000 students and teachers to 860 performances.

"DMPA's Applause Series is an excellent way to provide students with new and meaningful experiences. Many of our students wouldn't be able to attend a performance without programs like this," noted a central Iowa teacher.

Meeting the needs of today's learner, DMPA offers a variety of performances, workshops, and in-class opportunities. Live theater has the power to feed young imaginations, foster a sense of belonging, and inspire big dreams.

The 30th season of DMPA’s Applause Series includes the following curriculum-connected performances and more:

• Sugar Skull! A Dia De Muertos Musical Adventure
• National Geographic Live: Life on the Move with Lucy Hawkes,
• TAIKOPROJECT
• Doodle POP
• The Boy Who Could Sing Pictures

Seats are still available for this season's Applause Series. School administrators are encouraged to request tickets at dmpa.org.