How Do We Know…You Told Us!

Gail Craven-5th grade/Photo by Alex Havasi

Well our first year was sensational! I’m talking about our DREAM Ballroom Dance Program. This program was a collaborative effort of Fordney Foundation and Erica Arnold, professional dancer and instructor. Of course, we had two wonderful schools to help make our journey successful and we were pleased to be part of this fulfilling experience!

We literally got a hundred letters from students and teachers of both Colfax Charter Elementary School and Woodlake Elementary Community Charter School, 4th and 5th Graders, who participated in this dance experience, telling us how you felt about our first year’s DREAM Program. Here are some of the things we learned from the students:

Grateful

Happy

Enjoyed the experience

Fun and educational at the same time

Gave us self confidence

Felt more mature

1st Annual Showcase, Photo Alex Havasi

We got to express ourselves

Erica was great

We learned so many dances we would have never learned

Amazing opportunity

Erica was kind, calm and thoughtful

Forgot about being nervous

Taught us how to be ourselves

Great teacher

Felt proud

Loved engaging in art

Inspiring

Loved the music

Loved performing for our parents

Appreciated the showcase

Fordney Foundation – thank you for your generosity

Here are some of the students’ favorite dances that they learned:

1st Annual Showcase, Photo Alex Havasi

Night Club Two Step

Fox Trot

Rumba

Cha Cha

Swing

Salsa

As you can see from the comments, we are utterly excited and filled with joy that our new project DREAM has taken off with this kind of momentum. Colfax Charter and Woodlake Elementary Schools have paved the way for us and we are proud and thankful that these schools have taken to our program. We promise to be even better next year! Are you ready, we will be back in September!

We want to mention that Erica Arnold is hugely responsible for DREAM’s success. The Fordney Foundation feels privileged that Erica, with her immense prowess and talent, truly enjoys sharing her skills with students. We also want to give a special shout out to one of our own special, award winning dancers, Loren Silverman, who was so helpful in assisting Erica with the students and the dances. You were awesome!

As the program grows, we hope, in the future, we may be able to bring dance to other schools and introduce ballroom dance into their curriculum. Until then, continue to DREAM…and keep reaching for the stars, you know we will!!!

1st Annual Showcase, Photo Alex Havasi

Thought Of The Week:

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world – Anne Frank