Waiting in the wings

Helen Scott, a freshman at Texas Tech University, is passionate about passing on the dance experience to younger kids.

I was sweaty. My costume was itchy. And my face, covered in my mother’s makeup, smiled more than ever before. It was my first dance recital. At the time, I was in elementary school. I didn’t understand all the dance moves and wasn’t the best in the class, but I knew I had found something special. Years later, on a studio competition team, and devoting all my time to dance, I was heartbroken to know that many children in our city never get to experience dance and all the benefits that it reaps.

I took a group of my friends to the Star of Hope Women and Families’ Emergency Shelter, where we taught summer dance classes to children ages 4-12. Classes went from stretching and dance technique to games and crafts. The kids seemed to love it. When we were teaching pirouettes and turns, there were three 10-year-old boys who became incredibly excited to master the new skills.

The point of teaching classes at the shelter was more than just a way to entertain the children, but also to nurture them. Studies have proven that dance classes have significant mental, physical and social benefits, including improved condition of your heart and lungs, increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness, increased aerobic fitness, improved muscle tone and strength, stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis, better coordination, agility and flexibility, improved balance and spatial awareness, increased physical confidence, improved mental functioning, improved general and psychological well-being, greater self-confidence and self-esteem, and better social skills.

The morning of our second day of classes, I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting to be lead back to the children’s center. My team of volunteers and I were beyond exhausted and ready for the day to be over. Then I saw the pigtails of a girl we taught the day before bouncing into the room. She spotted us and immediately lit up, excitedly asking, “You’re coming back today?!” A little confused, I said “Yeah.” Her excitement was uncontainable. She ran over and gave me a gigantic hug.

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