A Letter from our Board Chair, Dede Ouren and
Cofounder and former Executive Director, Andrea Mirenda
Hurrah, Heart of Dance is back in full swing!! The Colors of the Rainbow Team Match (CORTM), held in May at the InterContinental Hotel in St. Paul, was back for the first time in three years and it was an event to remember! This joy-filled day celebrated bringing Dancing Classrooms back to more than 900 elementary and middle school students in 38 classrooms across 14 Twin Cities schools.
A packed ballroom cheered on the school teams as they danced the Merengue, Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba, Tango and Swing, showcasing their excitement, respectful teamwork, social engagement and confidence. It was a powerful reminder that Dancing Classrooms teaches so much more than dancing. It breaks down social barriers and bridges cultural differences. It teaches leadership skills, builds self-confidence, supports mental and physical health, and encourages joyous self-expression!
Dancing With Heart, our annual fund-raising luncheon, was held the same day. Gathering in person for the first time in three years, we heard inspiring speeches from Dancing Classrooms alumni, Savannah and Sayvon, now in high school, who described the lasting benefits they’ve gained. YMCA ForeverWell coordinator Maureen Peterson shared how well Dance for Life aligns with their active senior programming and told us participants often ask her when it will return. Volunteers gave their time and energy. New champions pledged 5-year gifts. Returning donors continued their support and we raised over $67,000!! And the question on everyone’s lips was . . . which school won the team match?! (It was the Orange Team, Loveworks Academy for the Arts.)
Other Heart of Dance programs are up and running again too. Dance for Life, in partnership with the YMCA, helped dozens of senior adults improve balance, strength, mental focus and social connections, reducing frailty and increasing independence. It returned to the Y and Ecumen’s Abiitan senior living community this year, as well as being offered through the MN chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association. Also this fall, a dedicated group of Dancing Classrooms alumni pursued their new-found passion for partner dance to higher levels, participating in DC Academy and performing at multiple venues.
While there is much to celebrate, it was far from a normal year. Although it was wonderful to be back in dance frame for the first time since 2020, without masks or socially distanced jump rope connectors, in schools the struggle continues. Staff are stretched thin and schools can’t hire enough people, putting even more stress on those who remain. Students used to turning off their video camera when they don’t want to engage are challenged by daily face-to-face interaction, which is reflected in their behavior. National research and personal experience tell us that the learning and developmental losses of the Covid years will have long-term effects.
All the more reason Heart of Dance must thrive. Our programs reconnect people of all ages in healthy ways!
Kudos to our dedicated staff and Board members who continue to provide endless hours, professional expertise and creative energy to keep Heart of Dance alive and growing. This summer, our Board hired Rashmi Seneviratne as our next Executive Director. She brings new energy and ideas to stimulate the rebuilding of our programs and strengthen our financial support. This has allowed our cofounder, Andrea Mirenda, to step down as ED in fiscal year 2023-24 and focus on her first love, program development. She will continue in that position during this transitional year.
We are very grateful for the generosity of our sponsors, donors and volunteers who continue to support Heart of Dance as we build back to pre-COVID levels. Whether as a board member, donor, staff member or volunteer, we invite you to join us on our journey! May we have this dance, please?
With deep gratitude,
Dede Ouren, Board Chair and Dancing Classrooms Volunteer
Andrea Mirenda, Cofounder and former Executive Director
While we look forward, it’s wonderful to see our growth through the years!
Thank you for joining us on this journey!
“When I first learned we were going to do this program, like any 10-year-old girl, I thought, ‘Eww, gross, I have to dance with boys.’
The first few times, it was very definitely an awkward feeling to have to touch people you didn’t know well. I remember it took a while for everyone to get used to each other, but in the end, it worked out.
The fact that it was twice a week helped us get closer as a class. We learned to respect each other more, respect each other’s space, and feelings, better than we did at the beginning of the year. I feel it [Dancing Classrooms] helped with team bonding.
When we all went into middle school, that respect carried over. And of course, there were kids from other elementary schools that we didn’t know. The confidence we developed in Dancing Classrooms definitely made it easier to approach new people and make new friends.
I learned things in Dancing Classrooms that still impact me today. I developed better self-control in a lot of ways…
- Physical control of my body, as I learned how to move in elegant ways in the dances,
- Control of my emotions, learning how to stay calm.
You’re working with another person, who may not learn at your pace, and learning to stay calm so you can connect better helps you work together better.” - Savannah Yancy, former Dancing Classrooms participant and high school Senior.
“When we first started, it felt awkward because you had to hold hands with girls, and dance with people you didn’t hang around with. As the class went on though, I got to know people better and it got easier.
After dancing in front of so many people who were all cheering me on, it gave me the confidence to perform in front of people, so I started singing in the choir at church. Dancing made me lighter on my feet, too. In basketball, I felt lighter and faster when I ran down the court. My team noticed and started calling me Twinkletoes.
I learned a lot more besides the dancing, though. I got more confident and I feel like I matured a lot. Besides knowing the dance steps, you had to act mature and be responsible to get picked for the team.
The year before, I hadn’t been doing as well in school and got in trouble sometimes. But once I started Dancing Classrooms, I got more focused and my mom got less calls from the school. I’d even come home and teach her the steps I learned!
Because I had to be more mature for the 10 weeks of the program, it became a habit. It’s like, why go back to my old ways? I got on the student council in fifth grade, and got straight A’s in middle school, so I got a scholarship to DeLaSalle High School. Ballroom dancing was a great experience! It made me a better person. It definitely will stay with me for the rest of my life.” - Sayvon Jackson, former Dancing Classrooms participant and high school student.
“At the YMCA, our goal is to get people to not just come in to do a workout, there’s a whole social component to what we do, to improve their overall health and wellbeing.
I started seeing Dance for Life participants socializing with each other outside of class . . . and even in other classes. Some of them were in another class I taught, and I would come in and find them practicing together . . . and teaching the steps to other people in my class! Other members who saw this would ask when the next Dance for Life classes were starting. It was fostering connections in a way that was really palpable.
I remember a Dance for Life participant named Kathy. She had lost her husband and moved here from Texas. She was grieving, and also trying to start over. The class engaged her in a new way. During, and even after, she took the class, every time I would see her, she’d be smiling!
For the last part of every strength training class I teach, we do exercises on the floor, but one of the most important things is getting up off the floor because that’s something we lose as we age. A member named Shelly always had to use a chair to help her get up from the floor. Until one day . . . she didn’t.
It turns out she had signed up for Dance for Life. Between the strength training and the agility and coordination work that you do in Dance for Life, it made a huge difference in her quality of life. She gained freedom and confidence.” - Maureen Peterson, ForeverWell Coordinator YMCA
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Come dance with us next year! Everyone is a student, everyone can dance. There’s now a Heart of Dance offering for everyone in our community. So let’s get dancing, Minnesota!
Grantors
THIS ACTIVITY IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE VOTERS OF MINNESOTA THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE MINNESOTA STATE ARTS BOARD, THANKS TO A LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION FROM THE ARTS & CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND.
