KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Music, stretching and lots of dancing inside the Turner Elementary school gym.
Students are a part of KC Ballet's Reach out and Dance (R.O.A.D.) Scholarship program, bringing dance to the students.
"It's giving them that exposure to all different types of dance things that some of them might surprise themselves and they might really enjoy dancing," Turner Elementary Principal, Tara Hudson said.
It's initiative that brings free, in school dance education to 3rd and 4th grade students.
"It means that I get to dance and I get to do everything that I dreamed of," 3rd grader, Addison Shipp said.
"We learn how to dance, we learn math, we learn a bunch of things," 3rd grader, Ronald Casares said.
Math is Ronald's favorite part.
"It's this game called human calculator," Ronald said. "It's where we stand forward and when she says add a quarter, we go this way, and when she says like subtract a quarter, we go this way."
The program serves students in 16 schools across the Kansas City, Kansas and the Kansas City, Missouri school districts.
"I love that she was given this opportunity," parent and teacher, Rose McGuire said. "I'm hoping that she takes a path towards dance in the future and that she just continues on."
McGuire's daughter is a part of 'Reach Out and Dance.'
"I don't know If she would've done it otherwise, had she not been chosen," McGuire said. "But because she's been able to do so, and go and dance and listen to the music, I can see her having a future in dance."
KC Ballet teaching artists work with the students, teaching the dance fundamentals: space, time, effort, self-discipline and cooperative learning.
For some students, it turns into opportunities beyond the classroom.
"It just melts my heart. We've had so many students receive scholarships through the programming and continue on — we currently have a student in the nutcracker and it's just amazing to see those kids get those opportunities and we're just so proud of them," Hudson said. "And we're proud of the kids that are just participating in general because it is hard and they're persevering through it and they're giving it their best."
The most important part is taking that first step onto the dance floor.
"It's okay to be nervous, but you just have to be positive," Addison said.
"Don't be nervous," Ronald said. "If you are nervous, you'll get over the fear, you'll get used to it."
The R.O.A.D Scholarship program is funded through private and public donorship.
To learn more about the program, you can contact KC Ballet's R.O.A.D. Program Administrator, Miyesha McGriff at mmcgriff@kcballet.org
