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Welcome to Confluence Conversations, where we explore the partnerships, programs, and experiences that elevate student success across Confluence Academies.
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I'm your host, Hailey Bruick, and today we're spotlighting an inspiring collaboration between Dance St.
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Louis and Grand Center Arts Academy.
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As Dance St.
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Louis celebrates its 60th season, we're taking a closer look at how its partnership with GCAA provides students with real-world artistic experiences, bringing professional dancers directly into classrooms and opening the door for students to perform alongside world-class artists.
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Today's conversation is about access, mentorship, and what it truly means to prepare young dancers for their future.
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Joining us today is Richard D., Executive Director of Dance St.
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Louis.
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We're also joined by Michael Utoff, Artistic Director of Dance St.
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Louis.
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From Grand Center Arts Academy, we have Summer Harris, Dance Department Lead.
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And finally, we're joined by Daleen Collenberg, a senior in GCAA's Dance Pathway, who has experienced this partnership firsthand.
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To begin, could each of you briefly share your role and your connection to this partnership?
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Let's start with Richard.
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Rich D, Executive Director with Dance St.
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Louis.
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This is my 15th season with the organization.
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When I began as with the with the organization, we were already in Grand Center Arts Academy.
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I'm Michael Lutov, Artistic Director of Dance St.
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Louis, and I'm here since 2006.
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And we began this particular program with Grand Center Arts Academy and other schools in the city, in which we provided the education.
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So it's been going on since about the inception of Grand Center Arts Academy.
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We're just talking out in Grand Street.
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And I've been with Confluence since 2017, and it's been a wonderful partnership with Dan St.
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Louis since I've been there.
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Hi, my name is Dallen Cullenberg.
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I am a senior at Grant Center Arts Academy, and I have been in the program since sixth grade.
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Perfect, fantastic.
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Richard, let's start with you.
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Dan St.
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Louis is celebrating its 60th season.
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What has sustained the organization for six decades, and how does education factor into that mission?
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Sure.
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Well, first of all, thank you so much for having us.
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So it hasn't been really easy to sustain an organization.
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There's only four of us like Dan St.
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Louis in the country.
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So as you mentioned, we've been around for 60 years, and we really rely significantly on our philanthropic stakeholders.
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I really want to give a shout out to the Bayer Fund, who really is our title supporter of our residency program.
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They've invested uh probably close to a million dollars over the course of about 20 years.
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So we're very thankful to them.
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Um and how did the partnership start with GCAA?
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Um, I I believe from the year that uh Grand Center Arts Academy opened in 2010 is when we went into the school.
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Is that right, Michael?
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Just about, yeah.
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Yeah.
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Okay, well, let's segue to Michael.
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Um, from artistic perspective, what makes GCAA a strong partner for Dance St.
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Louis?
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Well, it was very important when the program was set up that the schools that we were going to partner with had a commitment to the arts.
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And Grand Central Arts Academy does have that, and it provides us with an opportunity to reach dancers like Dolene, give them an opportunity to see and work with individuals that they wouldn't otherwise, opening up new frontiers, new horizons for them, and under the guidance of somebody like Summer, they're encouraged, and that's the kind of partnership that we work with that we need, and that's why it's very valuable, and that's what the Grand Center Arts Academy brought to the program.
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Well, great, and you kind of touched on how GCAA benefits as well.
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So let's segue right into Summer.
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Um, what is this partnership like and mean to you and the students?
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This partnership is really important.
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It gives an opportunity for our students to work with professional dance artists from all over the world.
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Um, they've from Alvin Ailey to most recently Momix, they've got to experience different styles of dance, and it's it's just really been a great experience for them.
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So I'm assuming that gives them more rigor and vision and real life.
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Absolutely, because they have their teachers, and all of our teachers are professional artists ourselves, but we're their teachers and they see us every day, but they see people who are coming from all over the world, and it's really a good experience for them.
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I think they enjoy it and they get to learn a lot.
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Yeah, that's great.
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Um, Michael, let's let's go back to you and talk about the Artist in Residence program specifically, um, bringing the professional dancers into GCAA for three weeks.
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Um, could you tell us more about the goal and what that program is?
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Um well, the goal is very important.
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It's one that uh Thomas addressed too.
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Uh what I always felt coming here into St.
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Louis was that we lived in the Midwest, surrounded by the rest of the country, and that within that they saw very little.
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So one of the things that I that I felt was important is that they got acquainted with what the real world of dance was all about, what it had to offer.
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So if students like Doline spent four years in the high school program, they will have met eight different styles of dancing, world-renowned dancing, being taught by world-renowned artists, so that by the time that she graduates, which she's doing this year, she has a better idea of what college to go if she wants to pursue a career in dance.
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We certainly encourage the people to follow dance, but that's not the whole objective of the program.
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The program is to give them also a professional uh idea of what it takes to become one dancer or professional in life.
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And we've seen many kids leave and go into different careers.
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And we've had people like somebody from Grand Center as economy, Joel Davis, what Doreen?
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Doreen?
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Joel Doreen, I think it's his last name now.
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He graduated from TV Grand Center's Academy 10 years ago.
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He was one of our dance award recipients, and today he's part of the funny girl cast on the road.
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So there's a sign of success.
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That's an amazing success story.
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That's that's great.
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Um love to hear those stories, especially education.
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Um, and you also touched on how great it is for students to have these professionals in the classroom.
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Tell us some a little bit more, and then I do want to hear about Dallen, what her take is on it.
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But let's go to the teacher first.
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Well, I see our students, we have multiple students, some who have a lot of dance experience, and some who are new to dance.
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And you have some who, when the professionals come in, they're timid and they're not really sure of I've never done this style.
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And by the end of the residency, you see them grow.
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And they've they've experienced so much, and they learn things from how to audition, how to do a dance resume, how to do a dance reel.
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And we get we give them these things at GCAA, but again, they're hearing it from the people who are currently in the field, who are currently doing these things.
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And I think that that opportunity is amazing, and we really appreciate that they get to do this twice a year.
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Okay, that is pretty incredible.
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Um, Delene, let's hear your take on working with the professionals.
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I mean, that's gotta be really cool.
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Yeah, it's very interesting and like really impactful on the dance and like my way of dancing, because like in 90 minutes, they can teach us, they can warm us up, they can go across the floor and improv.
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Then we like learn a whole dance, the Alice dance.
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We learn that in like 30 minutes, which was like really amazing for like me and the students and the teacher.
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Do you think that wouldn't happen without the professional dancers in the classroom?
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Or such access to them?
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I feel like with professional dancers when they come in our school building or on the seventh floor, I feel like it's a different, not expectation, but a different view for them with coming in for us teaching us.
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So it's like we give them like, hmm, we haven't seen this person before, or they're teaching us something new.
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So let's embrace what they're teaching us.
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Well, that's great.
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That's Richard, on that note, students are invited to perform with the Dance St.
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Louis dancers.
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Um, why is it important to have that shared performance space between students and professionals?
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Well, I feel that um, you know, students can see themselves and see the success of our teaching artists and know that that is where they could go.
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Um we dance St.
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Louis, we really believe that dance has the power to educate and to inspire and really to change lives.
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Sort of a coin saying when I first started at Dance St.
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Louis back in 2011 is really dance St.
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Louis is helping our youth dream big in dance, but also in life.
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I can I can totally relate um to that as an industry.
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But Richard, let me segue to you about the standards and the experiences that this provides students.
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But one one of it more than anything else is discipline.
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Because I mean, we cannot waste our resources and we cannot waste the time of the teachers and the artists to come into this community and not have a response.
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And so far we've been very lucky with the guidance like people like Summer, that they they understand that and they commit themselves to the vision.
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And the teachers, at least in this case, the me moment were absolutely thrilled with the response that they had, specifically about Grand Center Arts Academy.
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They felt that what the kids gave them, what how they responded to the program, how they related to what they were doing was fascinating.
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So that they walked out of there feeling enthralled because sometimes you're gonna get these kids, this teach this artist from New York or whatever, Paris or London, and they're gonna come here to St.
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Louis and say, we're gonna stick you for three weeks into this inner city schools, you know, and there are out all levels as kids.
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And they can be very upity if they want to.
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That's never been the case.
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They've been very receptive and they've been very giving, and it's been an incredible partnership.
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Well, while you were speaking, Michael, I saw Zalene shake her head.
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Can you relate to that?
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He mentioned discipline, um, maybe building your confidence.
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How has this like how have you improved from your experience?
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I feel like before they came in, I was more of I knew of my abilities.
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I didn't know how to push my dance abilities.
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But now, since so now.
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But now, since they came in, I've feel like I can do more and I can push myself to the next level without, or like knowing that I can do that.
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I kind of want to tap in on what she said because I've taught Darlene since she was in middle school.
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And Darlene has always been extremely talented, but she kind of hid herself.
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She's a student that would go to the back corner and you know, I'd have to pull her to the front because she's amazing.
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And I've seen now as a senior how she has grown and she steps to the front and she goes and she introduces herself to the artist.
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And, you know, I'm Darlene, and this is what I want to do, and it's it's beautiful to see that growth.
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And I think that programs like this really help our students to gain that confidence.
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Absolutely.
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You can see it right here as well, right?
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Um, speaking of that, um, next steps for them.
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She did talk about future and everything.
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What about college?
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How is this helping everyone and not just Darlene, but other students as well?
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Absolutely.
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Um, we've had some of the artists talk to our students about their lives and how some of them started off um doing different things and then grow up going into dance, gone to college for dance.
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Everybody didn't go to college for dance, but they still pursued it.
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We had one teacher who came in, one teaching artist who came in, and she's actually pursuing her doctorate in dance.
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And just that experience and having that conversation with our students, I think that lit a flame under some of them, like, okay, well, maybe if I don't want to, uh I can dance professionally, but I can still get a degree in dance, or I, you know, just gives them options, and those conversations really mean a lot.
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I think those one-on-one conversations that you wouldn't necessarily get if you didn't have a program like this.
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And even getting to see the performances, because we saw performance with Momix, who was the res residency that we just had, and afterwards they were able, they came out and took pictures with them, and that that building those relationships is really important, and it's a pleasure to see that and to have these opportunities for our students.
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And not to mention the memories, right?
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Yeah, that's that's great.
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Richard, you seem to want to tap into that comment.
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Uh yes, I mean, I think just our partnership over the years really has changed students' lives and um, you know, really pushing um pushing boundaries and really excelling in life.
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Um I think that Michael and myself and the organization is really proud of seeing students flourish.
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Um and as we share these outcomes, these life-changing outcomes with our funders, it's you know, the program will only grow.
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And can I add just to that because it's very important.
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If you look at, they've had in the past two years two groups, Pilabolus and Moments, that are sort of related because they one was born from the other.
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The interesting thing is that the creators of Pilabolus and the creator of Moment Moses didn't go to school for dance at all.
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Yeah.
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They went from Dartmouth and they were architects, engineers, whatever they were.
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Somehow they got fascinated with movement from what they were doing.
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They came up with an idea and it revolutionized the world of dance.
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And so, in some ways, anybody who cannot participate in this program has a head of opportunity to rise above it.
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Absolutely.
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And it goes the other way, like they can succeed in other industries, right?
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It crosses over.
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Totally.
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We have seen that with our Dance Career Award mentoring program, which is an extension of the residency program.
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We did a 10-year impact report a few years ago.
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And some of our career award students are excelling, some are excelling as professional dancers, but some are like one is in New York City as a graphic designer.
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Um, you know, some are actually teaching in the classroom dance.
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Let's segue back to Dallen.
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What are your plans with this experience?
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Where are you heading now?
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And did it change from like what you anticipated your freshman year?
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Have your goals changed, and what are your plans?
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My goals have not changed.
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It's still to push forward and pursue dance.
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But it with this experience, it allowed it to push forward, it allowed it to impact more impact on the goal, which is to dance and like be an entertainer.
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So you're a senior.
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What are your plans next year?
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Um, my plans.
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I have a lot of plans.
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Like my mind is just all over the place, but I know I want to produce pursue dance.
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I want to be on Broadway, like go on Broadway, do shows.
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I'm auditioning for the Muni.
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Well, I audition for the Muni.
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So I'm like taking steps to get to my overall goal.
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Well, that's great.
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That's great.
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You got some.
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And we have students who um are not necessarily, like you said, going to go into dance, but some of the skills that they've learned are gonna affect them the rest of their lives.
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Either I tell my students, I I grew up dancing, I wish there was this program when I was dancing, um, because of the opportunity.
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But I have a my master's is in physical therapy.
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However, I'm teaching dance to students.
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So they get to see not just me as their dance teacher, but they get to see these other artists from all over, and they have different paths.
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And we've we've seen, like Michael said, there's been people who have gone on Broadway.
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There's students who have come out of our program who have danced at the Super Bowl, who have danced at the Grammys, and those are different opportunities.
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But we also have students who are pursuing degrees for um medical degrees and um going into AI and cybersecurity.
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So I just think having these opportunities really pushes them and lets them see, you know, I'm a dancer at heart, but I can do anything.
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That's great.
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And I do want to end there, but I want to ask, does anyone else have anything else to add?
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I just want to add one thing in relation to it because we were sitting seated up there and she was telling me what she wants to do next year.
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One other part of the mentoring program of Dance and Lewis that Richard alluded to, the Dance Award, is for us to facilitate our knowledge in the field to those five kids that have been back.
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We couldn't do it for all 40 or 60 or 100, but for the five that are chosen, that we can talk to their parents, we can talk to them, and we can sort of begin to tell them, well, if you're gonna go this path, this might be a better college.
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If you're going the other path, this might be the better thing, so that the expectations that you can find out in the world can be better fulfilled because the decision to leave home and go somewhere to define an education, it's a major decision.
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So if you're not gonna go to the right place, it can be a wasted year.
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Well, not really, but it might not be a happy year.
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And I would like to share these two quotes that were given to us by a residency student, two students, a few years back.
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One says, Now I feel I can go out in the world and become someone.
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Uh, another student, residency student, said, You funded my dreams and my future before I even knew what was fully out there.
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And those really do stand out and really drive our work every day in partnership with Grand Center Arts Academy.
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All right, let's talk about this.
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Um, our listeners could be middle schoolers, um, community members that want to contribute.
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How do they reach out to you guys?
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Uh, folks, well, first I wanted to mention that the program each season uh costs about$120,000.
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And it's re it relies exclusively on contributions.
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Um, our main number is 314-534-6622.
00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:23.920
If anyone is interested in learning more about the program and how to contribute.
00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.440
And at GCAA, you can reach out to the school.
00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:32.480
You can reach out to me, summer.harrisnance at grandcentarartsacademy.org.
00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:45.440
And we also have an upcoming arts camp where students can come in rising sixth graders and rising night through rising ninth graders where they can come and experience GCAA, not just dance, but all of the arts there.
00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:46.880
Okay, that's great.
00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:56.319
No, no, it's vital that the student come to an environment, not just Grand Center Arts Academy, so that they can have a ground education.
00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:58.160
We enhance it.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.599
We're not the total education, we can't do it without them.
00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.079
That's why it's called a partnership.
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.559
All right, and we will put that information, the phone number, and the email in the show notes.
00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:14.720
So if you're driving, um, you can always listen to the podcast again and jot it down, but it will also be in the show notes.
00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:21.359
Welcome to Confluence Conversations, where we explore the partnerships, programs, and experiences that elevate student success across Confluence Academies.
00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:26.879
I'm your host, Hailey Bruick, and today we're spotlighting an inspiring collaboration between Dance St.
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Louis and Grand Center Arts Academy.
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As Dance St.
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Louis celebrates its 60th season, we're taking a closer look at how its partnership with GCAA provides students with real-world artistic experiences, bringing professional dancers directly into classrooms and opening the door for students to perform alongside world-class artists.
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Today's conversation is about access, mentorship, and what it truly means to prepare young dancers for their future.
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Joining us today is Richard D., Executive Director of Dance St.
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Louis.
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We're also joined by Michael Utoff, Artistic Director of Dance St.
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Louis.
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From Grand Center Arts Academy, we have Summer Harris, Dance Department Lead.
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And finally, we're joined by Daleen Collenberg, a senior in GCAA's Dance Pathway, who has experienced this partnership firsthand.
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To begin, could each of you briefly share your role and your connection to this partnership?
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Let's start with Richard.
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Rich D, Executive Director with Dance St.
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Louis.
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This is my 15th season with the organization.
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When I began as with the with the organization, we were already in Grand Center Arts Academy.
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I'm Michael Lutov, Artistic Director of Dance St.
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Louis, and I'm here since 2006.
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And we began this particular program with Grand Center Arts Academy and other schools in the city, in which we provided the education.
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So it's been going on since about the inception of Grand Center Arts Academy.
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We're just talking out in Grand Street.
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And I've been with Confluence since 2017, and it's been a wonderful partnership with Dan St.
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Louis since I've been there.
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Hi, my name is Dallen Cullenberg.
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I am a senior at Grant Center Arts Academy, and I have been in the program since sixth grade.
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Perfect, fantastic.
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Richard, let's start with you.
00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:31.599
Dan St.
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Louis is celebrating its 60th season.
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What has sustained the organization for six decades, and how does education factor into that mission?
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Sure.
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Well, first of all, thank you so much for having us.
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So it hasn't been really easy to sustain an organization.
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There's only four of us like Dan St.
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Louis in the country.
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So as you mentioned, we've been around for 60 years, and we really rely significantly on our philanthropic stakeholders.
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I really want to give a shout out to the Bayer Fund, who really is our title supporter of our residency program.
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They've invested uh probably close to a million dollars over the course of about 20 years.
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So we're very thankful to them.
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Um and how did the partnership start with GCAA?
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Um, I I believe from the year that uh Grand Center Arts Academy opened in 2010 is when we went into the school.
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Is that right, Michael?
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Just about, yeah.
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Yeah.
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Okay, well, let's segue to Michael.
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Um, from artistic perspective, what makes GCAA a strong partner for Dance St.
00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:44.800
Louis?
00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:51.599
Well, it was very important when the program was set up that the schools that we were going to partner with had a commitment to the arts.
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And Grand Central Arts Academy does have that, and it provides us with an opportunity to reach dancers like Dolene, give them an opportunity to see and work with individuals that they wouldn't otherwise, opening up new frontiers, new horizons for them, and under the guidance of somebody like Summer, they're encouraged, and that's the kind of partnership that we work with that we need, and that's why it's very valuable, and that's what the Grand Center Arts Academy brought to the program.
00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:23.199
Well, great, and you kind of touched on how GCAA benefits as well.
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So let's segue right into Summer.
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Um, what is this partnership like and mean to you and the students?
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This partnership is really important.
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It gives an opportunity for our students to work with professional dance artists from all over the world.
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Um, they've from Alvin Ailey to most recently Momix, they've got to experience different styles of dance, and it's it's just really been a great experience for them.
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So I'm assuming that gives them more rigor and vision and real life.
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Absolutely, because they have their teachers, and all of our teachers are professional artists ourselves, but we're their teachers and they see us every day, but they see people who are coming from all over the world, and it's really a good experience for them.
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I think they enjoy it and they get to learn a lot.
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Yeah, that's great.
00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:19.839
Um, Michael, let's let's go back to you and talk about the Artist in Residence program specifically, um, bringing the professional dancers into GCAA for three weeks.
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Um, could you tell us more about the goal and what that program is?
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Um well, the goal is very important.
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It's one that uh Thomas addressed too.
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Uh what I always felt coming here into St.
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Louis was that we lived in the Midwest, surrounded by the rest of the country, and that within that they saw very little.
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So one of the things that I that I felt was important is that they got acquainted with what the real world of dance was all about, what it had to offer.
00:05:46.399 --> 00:06:07.839
So if students like Doline spent four years in the high school program, they will have met eight different styles of dancing, world-renowned dancing, being taught by world-renowned artists, so that by the time that she graduates, which she's doing this year, she has a better idea of what college to go if she wants to pursue a career in dance.
00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:13.439
We certainly encourage the people to follow dance, but that's not the whole objective of the program.
00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:21.439
The program is to give them also a professional uh idea of what it takes to become one dancer or professional in life.
00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:25.279
And we've seen many kids leave and go into different careers.
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And we've had people like somebody from Grand Center as economy, Joel Davis, what Doreen?
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:30.959
Doreen?
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Joel Doreen, I think it's his last name now.
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He graduated from TV Grand Center's Academy 10 years ago.
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He was one of our dance award recipients, and today he's part of the funny girl cast on the road.
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So there's a sign of success.
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That's an amazing success story.
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That's that's great.
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Um love to hear those stories, especially education.
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Um, and you also touched on how great it is for students to have these professionals in the classroom.
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Tell us some a little bit more, and then I do want to hear about Dallen, what her take is on it.
00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:04.639
But let's go to the teacher first.
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Well, I see our students, we have multiple students, some who have a lot of dance experience, and some who are new to dance.
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And you have some who, when the professionals come in, they're timid and they're not really sure of I've never done this style.
00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:21.600
And by the end of the residency, you see them grow.
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And they've they've experienced so much, and they learn things from how to audition, how to do a dance resume, how to do a dance reel.
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And we get we give them these things at GCAA, but again, they're hearing it from the people who are currently in the field, who are currently doing these things.
00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:45.279
And I think that that opportunity is amazing, and we really appreciate that they get to do this twice a year.
00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:46.879
Okay, that is pretty incredible.
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Um, Delene, let's hear your take on working with the professionals.
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I mean, that's gotta be really cool.
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Yeah, it's very interesting and like really impactful on the dance and like my way of dancing, because like in 90 minutes, they can teach us, they can warm us up, they can go across the floor and improv.
00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:14.160
Then we like learn a whole dance, the Alice dance.
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We learn that in like 30 minutes, which was like really amazing for like me and the students and the teacher.
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Do you think that wouldn't happen without the professional dancers in the classroom?
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Or such access to them?
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I feel like with professional dancers when they come in our school building or on the seventh floor, I feel like it's a different, not expectation, but a different view for them with coming in for us teaching us.
00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:53.679
So it's like we give them like, hmm, we haven't seen this person before, or they're teaching us something new.
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So let's embrace what they're teaching us.
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Well, that's great.
00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:01.120
That's Richard, on that note, students are invited to perform with the Dance St.
00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:02.320
Louis dancers.
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Um, why is it important to have that shared performance space between students and professionals?
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Well, I feel that um, you know, students can see themselves and see the success of our teaching artists and know that that is where they could go.
00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:21.360
Um we dance St.
00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:29.039
Louis, we really believe that dance has the power to educate and to inspire and really to change lives.
00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:33.360
Sort of a coin saying when I first started at Dance St.
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Louis back in 2011 is really dance St.
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Louis is helping our youth dream big in dance, but also in life.
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I can I can totally relate um to that as an industry.
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But Richard, let me segue to you about the standards and the experiences that this provides students.
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But one one of it more than anything else is discipline.
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Because I mean, we cannot waste our resources and we cannot waste the time of the teachers and the artists to come into this community and not have a response.
00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:13.440
And so far we've been very lucky with the guidance like people like Summer, that they they understand that and they commit themselves to the vision.
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And the teachers, at least in this case, the me moment were absolutely thrilled with the response that they had, specifically about Grand Center Arts Academy.
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They felt that what the kids gave them, what how they responded to the program, how they related to what they were doing was fascinating.
00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:38.559
So that they walked out of there feeling enthralled because sometimes you're gonna get these kids, this teach this artist from New York or whatever, Paris or London, and they're gonna come here to St.
00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:45.759
Louis and say, we're gonna stick you for three weeks into this inner city schools, you know, and there are out all levels as kids.
00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:48.639
And they can be very upity if they want to.
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That's never been the case.
00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:54.720
They've been very receptive and they've been very giving, and it's been an incredible partnership.
00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:58.399
Well, while you were speaking, Michael, I saw Zalene shake her head.
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Can you relate to that?
00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.279
He mentioned discipline, um, maybe building your confidence.
00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:07.360
How has this like how have you improved from your experience?
00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:16.320
I feel like before they came in, I was more of I knew of my abilities.
00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:19.039
I didn't know how to push my dance abilities.
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But now, since so now.
00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:32.080
But now, since they came in, I've feel like I can do more and I can push myself to the next level without, or like knowing that I can do that.
00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:36.480
I kind of want to tap in on what she said because I've taught Darlene since she was in middle school.
00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:41.279
And Darlene has always been extremely talented, but she kind of hid herself.
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:46.960
She's a student that would go to the back corner and you know, I'd have to pull her to the front because she's amazing.
00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:54.559
And I've seen now as a senior how she has grown and she steps to the front and she goes and she introduces herself to the artist.
00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:59.039
And, you know, I'm Darlene, and this is what I want to do, and it's it's beautiful to see that growth.
00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:03.759
And I think that programs like this really help our students to gain that confidence.
00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:04.399
Absolutely.
00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:06.399
You can see it right here as well, right?
00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.200
Um, speaking of that, um, next steps for them.
00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:11.120
She did talk about future and everything.
00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:11.919
What about college?
00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.600
How is this helping everyone and not just Darlene, but other students as well?
00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:16.320
Absolutely.
00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:27.759
Um, we've had some of the artists talk to our students about their lives and how some of them started off um doing different things and then grow up going into dance, gone to college for dance.
00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.799
Everybody didn't go to college for dance, but they still pursued it.
00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:36.399
We had one teacher who came in, one teaching artist who came in, and she's actually pursuing her doctorate in dance.
00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:52.720
And just that experience and having that conversation with our students, I think that lit a flame under some of them, like, okay, well, maybe if I don't want to, uh I can dance professionally, but I can still get a degree in dance, or I, you know, just gives them options, and those conversations really mean a lot.
00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.919
I think those one-on-one conversations that you wouldn't necessarily get if you didn't have a program like this.
00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:15.759
And even getting to see the performances, because we saw performance with Momix, who was the res residency that we just had, and afterwards they were able, they came out and took pictures with them, and that that building those relationships is really important, and it's a pleasure to see that and to have these opportunities for our students.
00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:17.440
And not to mention the memories, right?
00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:18.799
Yeah, that's that's great.
00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:21.840
Richard, you seem to want to tap into that comment.
00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:37.440
Uh yes, I mean, I think just our partnership over the years really has changed students' lives and um, you know, really pushing um pushing boundaries and really excelling in life.
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:46.320
Um I think that Michael and myself and the organization is really proud of seeing students flourish.
00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:55.919
Um and as we share these outcomes, these life-changing outcomes with our funders, it's you know, the program will only grow.
00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:00.080
And can I add just to that because it's very important.
00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:10.080
If you look at, they've had in the past two years two groups, Pilabolus and Moments, that are sort of related because they one was born from the other.
00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:17.279
The interesting thing is that the creators of Pilabolus and the creator of Moment Moses didn't go to school for dance at all.
00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:17.600
Yeah.
00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:21.600
They went from Dartmouth and they were architects, engineers, whatever they were.
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.720
Somehow they got fascinated with movement from what they were doing.
00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:28.320
They came up with an idea and it revolutionized the world of dance.
00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:36.960
And so, in some ways, anybody who cannot participate in this program has a head of opportunity to rise above it.
00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:38.159
Absolutely.
00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.759
And it goes the other way, like they can succeed in other industries, right?
00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:42.879
It crosses over.
00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:43.679
Totally.
00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:49.840
We have seen that with our Dance Career Award mentoring program, which is an extension of the residency program.
00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:54.480
We did a 10-year impact report a few years ago.
00:14:54.720 --> 00:15:05.279
And some of our career award students are excelling, some are excelling as professional dancers, but some are like one is in New York City as a graphic designer.
00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:11.600
Um, you know, some are actually teaching in the classroom dance.
00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.960
Let's segue back to Dallen.
00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:17.360
What are your plans with this experience?
00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:18.720
Where are you heading now?
00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:23.039
And did it change from like what you anticipated your freshman year?
00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:26.639
Have your goals changed, and what are your plans?
00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:30.960
My goals have not changed.
00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:34.159
It's still to push forward and pursue dance.
00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:47.919
But it with this experience, it allowed it to push forward, it allowed it to impact more impact on the goal, which is to dance and like be an entertainer.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:49.120
So you're a senior.
00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:50.559
What are your plans next year?
00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:55.840
Um, my plans.
00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:59.360
I have a lot of plans.
00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:04.720
Like my mind is just all over the place, but I know I want to produce pursue dance.
00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.399
I want to be on Broadway, like go on Broadway, do shows.
00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:10.000
I'm auditioning for the Muni.
00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:11.519
Well, I audition for the Muni.
00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:15.840
So I'm like taking steps to get to my overall goal.
00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:17.039
Well, that's great.
00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:17.679
That's great.
00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:18.240
You got some.
00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:28.240
And we have students who um are not necessarily, like you said, going to go into dance, but some of the skills that they've learned are gonna affect them the rest of their lives.
00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:36.399
Either I tell my students, I I grew up dancing, I wish there was this program when I was dancing, um, because of the opportunity.
00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.039
But I have a my master's is in physical therapy.
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.360
However, I'm teaching dance to students.
00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:49.200
So they get to see not just me as their dance teacher, but they get to see these other artists from all over, and they have different paths.
00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.919
And we've we've seen, like Michael said, there's been people who have gone on Broadway.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:02.320
There's students who have come out of our program who have danced at the Super Bowl, who have danced at the Grammys, and those are different opportunities.
00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:11.200
But we also have students who are pursuing degrees for um medical degrees and um going into AI and cybersecurity.
00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:19.200
So I just think having these opportunities really pushes them and lets them see, you know, I'm a dancer at heart, but I can do anything.
00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:20.160
That's great.
00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:24.160
And I do want to end there, but I want to ask, does anyone else have anything else to add?
00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:30.240
I just want to add one thing in relation to it because we were sitting seated up there and she was telling me what she wants to do next year.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:42.880
One other part of the mentoring program of Dance and Lewis that Richard alluded to, the Dance Award, is for us to facilitate our knowledge in the field to those five kids that have been back.
00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:54.799
We couldn't do it for all 40 or 60 or 100, but for the five that are chosen, that we can talk to their parents, we can talk to them, and we can sort of begin to tell them, well, if you're gonna go this path, this might be a better college.
00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:09.599
If you're going the other path, this might be the better thing, so that the expectations that you can find out in the world can be better fulfilled because the decision to leave home and go somewhere to define an education, it's a major decision.
00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.799
So if you're not gonna go to the right place, it can be a wasted year.
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:16.480
Well, not really, but it might not be a happy year.
00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:28.000
And I would like to share these two quotes that were given to us by a residency student, two students, a few years back.
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:32.880
One says, Now I feel I can go out in the world and become someone.
00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:42.960
Uh, another student, residency student, said, You funded my dreams and my future before I even knew what was fully out there.
00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:51.680
And those really do stand out and really drive our work every day in partnership with Grand Center Arts Academy.
00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:53.359
All right, let's talk about this.
00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:58.960
Um, our listeners could be middle schoolers, um, community members that want to contribute.
00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.039
How do they reach out to you guys?
00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:08.720
Uh, folks, well, first I wanted to mention that the program each season uh costs about$120,000.
00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:13.519
And it's re it relies exclusively on contributions.
00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:19.119
Um, our main number is 314-534-6622.
00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:23.920
If anyone is interested in learning more about the program and how to contribute.
00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.440
And at GCAA, you can reach out to the school.
00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:32.480
You can reach out to me, summer.harrisnance at grandcentarartsacademy.org.
00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:45.440
And we also have an upcoming arts camp where students can come in rising sixth graders and rising night through rising ninth graders where they can come and experience GCAA, not just dance, but all of the arts there.
00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:46.880
Okay, that's great.
00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:56.319
No, no, it's vital that the student come to an environment, not just Grand Center Arts Academy, so that they can have a ground education.
00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:58.160
We enhance it.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:01.599
We're not the total education, we can't do it without them.
00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.079
That's why it's called a partnership.
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.559
All right, and we will put that information, the phone number, and the email in the show notes.
00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:14.720
So if you're driving, um, you can always listen to the podcast again and jot it down, but it will also be in the show notes.
