The DEA Youth Dance Program has just finished another successful school year ending in 35 cities nationwide with thousands of children culminating their programs with schoolwide and community assemblies. Scholarships at local dance studios were awarded to students who exemplified dedication, teamwork and improvement.
A young student, Shaun, of Auburn, Washington is a stunning example of how the DEA Youth Dance Program can inspire change through its programs. Shaun was once an introverted kid who shied away from most social interactions, until that is, he found the DEA Youth Dance Program. As a 5th grader, Shaun decided to sign up for the free after school dance classes and after finishing the program he received a generous scholarship from DEA YDP and the local dance company, Auburn Dance Academy. Shaun continued with his classes, taking a class once a week at the studio. In time, with his newly found confidence, he auditioned for the company's youth performance team, and he made it! Shaun, now 13 and in 7th grade has performed for thousands of people, including hundreds of potential DEA YDP students in Washington state and at Nationals in Las Vegas. Shaun’s mom shared, “He has found a passion that I have never seen in him before, this will change his life forever. He wouldn't have done any of this without the program."
In other exciting news, The DEA Educational Foundation and DEA Youth Dance Program was highlighted in front of 100 countries early in June at the 32nd International Drug Enforcement Conference, hosted by DEA and the Columbian National Police in Columbia, South America. The program was shown as a positive and healthy alternative to drug use and key prevention program for youth and within schools. Since the conference, several countries have shown interest in implementing the DEA YDP program abroad.
The DEA Youth Dance Program also looks forward to participating in National Dance Day on July 25th with Dizzy Feet Foundation who started National Dance Day as a campaign to encourage Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health and fight obesity. Dizzy Feet (A non-profit established by creators and judges of So You Think You Can Dance) has invited DEA YDP to perform at the Music Center in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. National Dance Day was established to bring communities together by allowing audiences to see, learn and participate in choreography and movement and to bring public awareness of the importance of dance to the United States and beyond.
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As we leap into spring, thousands of students in 33 cities around the United States prepare for DEA Youth Dance Program performances at their schools. This is an exciting time for the children as they have worked hard for 20 weeks with their fellow DEA YDP students to learn choreography, technique and performance skills. In addition, students are now applying for scholarship through the DEA Educational Foundation to continue studying dance long-term at a local studio.
Also this spring, the DEA Youth Dance Program is thrilled to announce a recent event in Los Angeles hosted by Fancy Feet Dance Studio. Each year, Fancy Feet chooses one non-profit organization to be the sole recipient of proceeds from their “Our Gift Of Light” charity performance to help people in need in their community. Students, parents and community members gathered for an afternoon of music and dance as talented young artists performed to raise support and awareness for drug resistance, artistic expression, and to support the important mission of the DEA Youth Dance Program. Two performances were held with performers ranging from 4-18 years old sharing talents in dance, song, music and theatre! Both performances were hosted by Jay McGuiness, lead singer from the popular group, “The Wanted”. A standing ovation for Fancy Feet Studio, donating 100% of proceeds (over $10,000) to help bring dance to at-risk children! This contribution will allow the DEA Youth Dance Program to expand to a new Los Angeles school and will allow for internship opportunies for Fancy Feet teens interested in being role models for younger DEA Youth Dance Program students in the community.
The DEA Youth Dance Program has a significant waitlist of over 100 locations. We are very thankful to our donors, such as you, for helping us to bring dance to more communities in need.
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As 2014 came to a close, the DEA Educational Foundation Youth Dance Program celebrated its expansive reach to 31 cities nationwide. With continued efforts to meet a growing wait list, the DEA YDP is hopeful to reach over 35 cities by the end of 2015. Today, thousands of students are already participating in long-term classes and in some cities winter programs are kicking off with in-school interactive, positive and motivational assemblies. YDP students in all schools will perform at the end of the 2014-15 school year beginning as soon as April.
In Los Angeles, California the DEA YDP students from Sylvan Park Elementary were recently invited to perform for a DEA Educational Foundation event at the Beverly Hilton honoring Vince Gilligan of "Breaking Bad" and his important role in accurately portraying DEA and the dangers of methamphetamine in our society. A local DEA YDP scholarship student, Khloe, also attended the event sharing her personal story on how the program helped her overcome issues in school. Khloe candidly shared, “I was constantly bullied…I thought that there was no way out and I just felt so trapped. When I felt that I had nowhere to go or stressed out dancing with this program helped me stop thinking about the bad things but to focus on the positive things. DEA Youth Dance Program truly helped me express my feelings and let me be myself. I haven't been dancing long with this program but they immediately took me in like family.”
The DEA Youth Dance Program looks forward to another impactful year in 2015 with the mission of reaching as many at-risk students as possible with the important message of drug and violence resistance through the expressive and powerful art form, dance.
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After a very busy summer of placing ambitious kids into scholarship programs and performing in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. National Dance Day celebrations, the DEA Youth Dance Program, part of the DEA Educational Foundation, has continued to bring children tremendous fun, entertainment and education this fall! In September and October alone, professional dance companies performed in 31 cities nationwide for over 30,000 students to spread the message of the importance of staying drugfree and focusing on dreams, while demonstrating different styles of dance, the history of dance, and the benefits of hard work and teamwork. Over 1,200 students across the United States are now beginning their free, 20 week dance class series this school year, giving kids a positive and healthy outlet in the critical after-school hours. The pictures throughout this report show just a few of our launch assemblies in action. Thank you for supporting the DEA Youth Dance Program! Our waitlist now includes over 100 regions!
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At the end of March, 2014 the DEA Educational Foundation launched a DEA Youth Dance Program at Lima North Middle to bring kids a positive and healthy activity at the end of the school day. This project was made possible through a very generous donation by Dizzy Feet Foundation to bring kids dance in memory of Cory Monteith, the young "Glee" actor who tragically lost his life to a drug overdose. The DEA Youth Dance Program is an outlet to help children to stay drugfree and to never go down the path of this type of tragedy. Lima was of particular interest to Dizzy Feet because Cory’s last Glee series was filmed at a fictional high school in Lima, OH. As Lima is such a small, working-class city, the program launch proved to be one of the biggest events in the community history receiving extremely positive articles in the paper and news spots on TV. The DEA Youth Dance class is filled to capacity within less than one day, with over 60 applications coming in for a class of 25 students. The class is filled with half boys. Our partnering dance company heading up this project is Lyn's Dance Academy and they are very dedicated to this program.
The class, which is mostly filled with at-risk students from low-income families has had a tremendous impact on the students. “The opportunity to have a positive program build on the foundation of dance for our students will leave a lasting impact on their entire academic experience. The buzz that was generated after our opening assembly was so strong and uplifting in our building and was felt by all staff and students in attendance.” (Matt Quatman, Vice Principal, Lima North Middle)
On April 2nd, even a greater opportunity for the students was presented. Dizzy Feet Foundation approached The DEA Youth Dance Program about having the Lima North students perform at the Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala in Los Angeles on July 19th, 2014. Although Dizzy Feet is unable to fund this venture, the DEA Educational Foundation felt they should do everything possible to make this opportunity a reality for the students.
The DEA Educational Foundation approved the use of funding to make this a reality for the DEA YDP students. All hotel rooms for the children and chaperones are being donated by a generous downtown Los Angeles hotel. And, due to the DEA Educational Foundation supporting this trip through operational funds, students will have the amazing experinece of performing on a Los Angeles stage and will see the largest U.S. city firsthand, likely a once in a lifetime opportunity. When parents of the students were informed, there were tears of joy. Additionally, the Vice Principal of Lima North Middle informed the DEA Educational Foundation that several of these students have never left Lima, OH.
Classes have begun to prepare the students for their performance and most will take their first plane ride and dip their toes in the ocean for the first time on July 18th, 2014.
The DEA Educational Foundation Youth Dance Program relies on generous donations such as yours to help us to continue DEA Youth Dance Programs around the United States, as well as reach new schools on our ever-growing waitlist. Funds also assist with scholarships in dance, as well as very special projects such as the bringing the Lima group to Los Angeles to experience a trip of a lifetime. Thank you for your continued support!
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