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“1,2,3, swing those arms!”
This is the sound of young students learning to just… let go.
They’re understanding the power of movement, as part of the in-school dance program – Mad Hot Rhythm. On this Tuesday afternoon at Trowbridge School, 5th grader Madeline Ybarra and her peers start off with their African Jazz routine.
“I think it’s very fun and encouraging for all of us and we all get to learn something new,” Ybarra said.
Mad Hot Rhythm started in 2006 as a pilot program for Danceworks. It’s grown from being in just three Milwaukee-area schools to 35, serving more than 40,000 youth over the last 20 years.
“One of the phrases we use all the time is ‘dance is the vehicle’,” Danceworks Community Education Director Jessica Fastabend, said. “They’re learning how to work together. They’re learning how to try new things, which can be really hard. It’s that positive risk taking.”
This group is practicing for Danceworks’ 20-year anniversary competition – going up against dozens of other students showing off their jazz, tap and tango skills.
Julia Richter, or Ms. Julia as she’s called, leads the class. She’s taught within the Mad Hot program for 17 years and talks about the growth she's seen within her students.
“We have to do partner dances for two of the dances,” she explained. “For the tango, especially, there’s connection, you’re connecting with body and movement and hands. At first, that’s something they’re very reluctant to do and through the process you see them actually wanting to partner up, encourage each other and help each other.”
The skills they build on the dance floor go straight into the classroom. Teacher Anthony Rosero says they’re learning to navigate the real world through rhythm.
“I see the skills they’re learning here is something I’ve worked with them on since the beginning of the year – paying attention, following directions and learning to work with a group,” he said. “And, I think this program has incorporated all of that plus a nice highlight of a competition at the end.”
After the competition, 5th grader Joshua Santana has found another way to keep using his dance moves – on the field.
“In football you need footwork,” Santana said. “Footwork is when you’re running with a route and you do this (mimics move) to make a catch as a wide receiver. You always need footwork in football because if you don’t then there’s no way you’re gonna make it.”
The Danceworks 20th anniversary competition will be on April 28 at the UWM Panther Arena. To learn more, click here.
