The Power of Dance

From inner city Atlanta to the steps of the White House, we revel in the joy and wonder of all that is dance.

by Suzanne Wright

April 1, 2006

S omething isn't working. It's just two months after the Sept. 11 attacks and I'm in upstate New York attending a dance workshop called Sweat Your Prayers, taught by Gabrielle Roth. She notices the group's collective energy is low, so she asks us to stop and sit for a minute while she addresses us.

“The body doesn't lie,” she begins. “After tragedies like 9/11, and scandals like Enron and WorldCom, we're holding cumulative trauma in our bodies. As a result, we dance a 'trauma dance.'”& lt; /p>

In just a moment, the energy in the room has changed. Relieved to have our sensibility validated,we acknowledge Roth's intuition. Slowly, we give ourselves over to a different dance – one of loss, anger, sadness, uncertainty and fear.

“Nobody said the dance wouldn't hurt, though,”Roth adds, as she begins her own movement, emitting an occasional guttural wail from her wraith–like body.

Now, fast–forward four years. There's a lump in my throat as I watch a group of at–risk boys and young men perform in the garret–like space of Moving in the Spirit (MITS). The troupe, known as Men in Motion, is clad in jeans, T–shirts and oxfords. Their collective energy is infectious. The small audience – friends, family members and a  few other supporters – explode in applause. We all share their triumph.

Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather. Martha Graham

Led by 27–year–old Christopher McCord, Men in Motion embodies the values he learned as a former MITS student and is now giving back to the community as a teacher: respect, commitment,responsibility and accountability.

One young man, Charles Bennett, explains during a post–performance session, what his participation means. “Some people are good at basketball, but I like dancing. Plus, I wasn't really good at anything else.”

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Dance is as old as mankind, but its popularity is cyclical. From TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres delighting her audiences with her joyous opening dance sequence, to the charming and inspirational documentary of New York City school kids called Mad Hot Ballroom, to the cutthroat television spectacle of Dancing With the Stars, dance is making headlines.

But beyond entertainment, dance can quietly and effectively transform lives. As an art form, it blurs boundaries of age, race, ethnicity, income, ability, gender and language. Dance – or perhaps the more democratic term “movement” – allows us to claim our space.

Perhaps no where is the impact of dance more dramatically experienced than at Parklane Elementary School in East Point, where the ethnic composition of the student body is 77 percent African–American and 20 percent Hispanic. For nine years, this inner–city school, which posts some of the lowest scores within the Atlanta Public School system, has watched its at–risk students blossom and thrive through a program offered by the Atlanta Ballet.

Conceived in 1996 by Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director John McFall and Centre for Dance Education Dean Sharon Story, the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education provides access to dance education for all interested persons. The program focuses on the importance of physical activity, good health, teamwork and following directions. In 2002, Parklane Elementary officially adopted the Centre Dance program into its mandatory academic curriculum.

For a decade, Centre Dance has served a cluster of Fulton County Public School students – its doors are open to anyone, including those who are physically or mentally challenged – and its success has triggered tremendous expansion throughout metro Atlanta. It's the sixth largest dance school in the country and serves 75,000 kids annually. Students enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade take a dance lesson of 45 minutes once per week during the school day, in which they study a variety of dance forms, including ballet, African, break dancing, hip–hop, modern and jazz. An afterschool program serves approximately 100 select students five days per week, which combines a one–hour dance lesson with a one–hour academic session. Math, for example, can be correlated to a rhythmic dance sequence with each discipline buttressing the other. In addition to holding performances throughout the year, the Atlanta Ballet awards 10 full scholarships to exceptional students to study at the Centre for Dance Education.

Moving In The Spirit

“We have seen a profound impact on our students as a result of the Atlanta Ballet program,” says Lee Adams, principal at Parklane Elementary. “At first, we offered the program only to children with behavioral problems. When we tracked those students, we found an extremely positive effect on their behavior, attendance and academic studies, as well as a significant increase in their test scores. As a result, we are now offering the program during the school day as a special opportunity to all students in first through fifth grades.”

Atlanta Ballet's Story says the shift is remarkable. “At the start of the year, the students keep their heads down, but by the end of the year, they have a whole new attitude. Their self–e steem begins to grow and they have pride in themselves and their progress. Teachers, family members and their peers all have a positive 'wow' reaction to the metamorphose.”

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It's infectious to watch little – and some not so little – bodies shaking, jumping, spinning, kicking, sliding, laughing and smiling. Dianne Argot is a teenage dancer and a member of the Atlanta Ballet's Academic and Cultural Initiative, which was created in collaboration with the Latin–American Association. “Besides helping me reduce stress, dancing gives me energy,” she says. “ What I feel, I express in dancing.”

Another student dancer, Michelle Ampuero, says that through dance, she has learned to think differently and go outside the box. “Different perspectives help you gain wisdom,” she adds, “and wisdom is something no one can ever take away from you.”

Sally Radell, associate professor and director of dance for Emory University's Dance Program, agrees that dance has benefits far beyond the classroom or rehearsal hall. The majority of her undergraduate students are liberal arts majors studying law, medicine or business who will not pursue professional dance careers after graduation.

“In addition to helping young people develop healthy body images, dance offers advantages in such disciplines as perseverance, leadership, creativity, patience, strength, improvisation, problemsolving and decision–making,” Radell adds. “These are basic life skills that translate into everything we do.”

“Regardless of aspiration or ability, dance promotes self discovery, self–expression and diversity,” McFall states. For instance, last December's Nutcracker cast a number of hurricane victims who had relocated to Atlanta from the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “We had kids from homeless shelters dancing with kids who ride in their parents' Mercedes,” he explains. “But once they're in the studio, dance becomes the common denominator. Everybody learns differently, but eventually each individual finds his or her own balance. And together, they become part of the same family.”

When Dana Marie Lupton founded Moving In The Spirit 20 year ago with Leah Mann, she had no idea urban dance would land her at the White House visiting with First Lady Laura Bush and world–r enowned choreographer Debbie Allen. In late January, MITS became the first Georgia – and one of only two organizations in the Southeast – to receive the 2005 Coming Up Taller Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which recognizes superior youth development organizations.

Although dance is often more of a focus in affluent communities, MITS got its start during a summer mission project in Atlanta's Techwood Homes, the nation's first public housing project, as a way to connect with an urban youth population and help level the playing field. “In two decades,” Lupton says, her voice breaking with emotion, “we have created so many possibilities for young people and for us. It's so sweet to see the passion and determination in these kids. It's the reason why I do what I do.”

She explains that MITS kids in recent months have been working on a Katrina survivors' dance piece that has spawned a rich dialogue. “Dance can become a conversation,” Lupton says. “The hurricane evacuee kids started talking about the things they have lost in their lives – both people and materialistic things. They began to integrate those feelings into their movements, mainly by partnering with other dancers and sharing their weight. It's the metaphor of dance: I'm physically holding you up and if I don't show up, someone is going to get hurt. They're really compassionate and watch out for each other's backs, which shows a great deal of integrity. That's incredibly powerful to watch.”

Lupton fervently believes her students are no less than tomorrow's leaders, who will lead by building bridges, breaking down barriers, erasing stereotypes and fighting intolerance in the spirit of leaders like the late Coretta Scott King. “Dance pushes the idea that we are all agents of social change,” she exclaims. “Influenced by the media, peer pressure and powerful images, kids are empowered and grounded by dance. It's a springboard for what is happening in the world and a platform for social change.”

For adolescents or children from abusive or hostile environments, dance is an especially influential communal practice. “I believe in dance as a sacred space and as a place to go to no matter how chaotic life is,” Lupton continues. “It's a safe haven in which to channel anger, frustration and pain and come out feeling whole. I know as a teen myself, dance allowed me to figure out who I was, feel okay about where I was and celebrate my journey in the midst of some pain and confusion. At Moving In The Spirit, kids can come here three days a week for two hours and be accepted exactly for who they are. They also can work through decisions here and feel comfortable holding and being held. They discover they are not alone.”

Results from the MITS program are impressive: 90 percent of its students go on to attend college and technical school or join the military, while 75 percent who were placed with mentors for six months or longer increased their GPA or maintained straight–A averages during the last school year. Nearly 30 percent return to the agency as adults to volunteer and give back to the program that has given them so much. In addition, MITS has worked with children being held in youth detention centers, who Lupton says were violent at the start of the program, but later were working together as they warmed to their dance experience.

Lupton says there's a popular misconception that dancers are “airheads” and not very smart, which she quickly refutes as a myth. “In actuality, it takes heightened critical thinking to be a dancer,” she explains. “In dance, you are constantly assessing the situation, which involves elements of geometry and physics. In actuality, dancers can transform the world through movement.”& amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>

Dance also has the unique capacity to keep you in the present moment. Says Story, “When you're focused simply on movements, and no egos, dance is the holiest place you can ever be. You also can make it a lifelong practice. We move around in the womb before birth and we continue to move around until the day we die if we're lucky. It's a full circle.”

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Finding The Right Place To Dance
Whether you’re looking for dance instruction for yourself or a child in your life, Dana Lupton and Sharon Story have some factors to consider and tips to share to help you evaluate a potential dance school.

• Recognition Factor. Ask if the school is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance or by Regional Dance America, which indicate that a dance studio and its instructors meet annual standards. Also find out if a school has received any awards with regard to its programs, which is another indicator of excellence.
• Experience Factor. Dance teachers should have professional teaching experience in addition to dance instructor experience. They should all be committed to individual progress.
• Connection Factor. Students should feel challenged, but not overwhelmed by their lessons. Teachers should critique and correct students individually,  not in front of a group.
• Curriculum Factor. Inquire about the class lessons and ask to see a syllabus. Beyond technical skill, watch for passionate instruction in the teachers.
• Ratio Factor. Look for classes that maintain a student/teacher ratio of 12:1 or less. This ratio allows the teacher to provide quality critiques to all students.
• Sample Factor. Before committing, take a class yourself or watch a class in progress. You should feel both comfortable and challenged. If you don’t feel a connection with that class or instructor, then keep looking.
• Condition Factor. Look for a dance space that is bright, clean and appealing, with plenty of room to move. Studios that have sprung floors minimize injuries and increase comfort of their dancers. Some studios limit the use of mirrors to discourage comparisons among dancers.