Facing an uncertain future and abrupt changes, these children have this dance
class in which to feel their joy, to be kids among kids, to have a normal, kind,
loving thing happen to them at a predictable time every week. This one dance
class helps hold their worlds together. This one dance class works its small,
tireless magic to calm the beast of trauma ravaging their lives.
“These kids, so many of them, have a history that should happen to no one,” says
Janet Pantaleo, vice president – major gifts of cer of Metropolitan Ministries
(Met Min). “The transformational power of the arts, it’s tremendous. There’s no
question about it.
Yes, people have needs like food, shelter, rest … but humans need a creative
outlet, too, to be alive.
These children love their dance class, their music class, their theater class.”
Quietly and tenaciously, the Straz Center has offered performing arts classes
for the children of Met Min since 2007. Today, we offer in-school and afterschool
programs. We are there for hip-hop class, tap class, ballet class, music
and theater. We are there when homeless children need hope, need a way to
communicate without violence, need to feel con dent and hear a roomful of
people applauding their achievement.
“The kids have been blessed, very, very blessed to have been given this
opportunity to have performing arts classes. How intimidating is it to stand up
in front of people and do a tap dance or speak your part of a play? But they do
it,” Pantaleo says, “and they gain con dence. Then they think, ‘if I can do that,
what else can I do?’ Our relationship with The Straz makes us able to give wellrounded
support. It’s mind, body and spirit.”
Some of those elementary-aged kids clomping through shuf e-step at the end
of the basketball court? They will utilize full scholarships to train at the Patel
Conservatory – and who knows where they’ll be able to go after that.
Every one of our classes for Met Min children happen 100% through donor
support. When you give to The Straz this holiday season, you’re also giving to
Met Min and every one of our other 44 community partners.
That’s what we call playing it forward.
Together, we can keep changing lives
through the power of the performing arts.