Friday, April 30, 2010

Swing Dance: Creating Community in the Schools

When Chester and I began teaching swing dance full time in 2004, it was mostly my idea. Burnt out from corporate life, I wanted to do something that brought us joy. Little did I realize how much joy it would bring to others.

Now our passion has grown to become the passion of so many others throughout the Hudson Valley. As word of mouth spreads our classes continue to swell with smiles.

Since 2006, we've been bringing those smiles to the faces of children as well as adults through our Teaching in the Schools program. Our 2010 program at the Violet Avenue Elementary School was profiled in the Poughkeepsie Journal on April 27, along with over 30 photographs of the kids in action posted on the Poughkeepsie Journal website Gallery of Photos.

We love being part of the transformation that happens when people of all ages learn to dance together.

And now, the Hudson Valley Community Dance has taken our mission of spreading the joy of swing dancing and made it part of a Pepsi grant proposal.

Join us in voting every day in the month of May to bring professional swing dance instruction to two high schools in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Truly every vote counts in this endeavor as only 10 proposals will win the May grant and winning is by popular vote. The top ten with the most votes win the grants.

The voting starts May 1 and ends May 31. That's 31 days to make a difference.

Vote for Swing Every Day in the Month of May. Visit the Hudson Valley Community Dance website for more information.