On September 10, 2019 GRoW @ The Wallis joined with Ricka Glucksman Kelsch and her organization, Dance and Dialogue, to host a special day for dance students from Beverly Hills High School and CHAMPS Charter High School in the San Fernando Valley. Dance and Dialogue’s program is based in joy: the joy of dance, the joy of sharing, the joy of self-expression. By bringing together people of all ages, from all the different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds that make up our community, the program looks to break down the barriers of preconceived differences and eliminates fear of others. As participants share their stories they encounter their own feelings and discover that in self- expression combined with art, they gain in empathy and self-confidence.
The day began with some fun ice-breaking activities on the stage of the Bram Goldsmith Theater. With all the students wearing their Dance and Dialogue t-shirts, within minutes you would not have guessed these young people were from two different schools. They were making instant connections through their shared love of dance.
After the warmups concluded, the students were assigned to three different discussion groups, each with a diverse mix of dancers from the two schools. Adult facilitators led the students in a facilitated conversation using the format of Council circles. The youth were invited to speak from the heart and listen from the heart, free from judgment or ridicule. The students soon realized they were all more alike than they might have first imagined, in spite of racial and socio-economic differences.
Students returned to the Goldsmith stage for a class on Fosse technique led by Valarie Pettiford, a Tony-nominated dancer, actress, and singer who worked often with Bob Fosse. She shared the rigor and the artistry behind this dance technique. “If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not Fosse.” She underscored the imperative to be fully present, engaged, and “living.”
Following a lunch break, the dancers returned to the stage for a jazz class taught by Pat Taylor, Founding Artistic Director/Choreographer with JazzAntiqua Dance and Music Ensemble. Her company celebrates the jazz tradition as a vital thread in the cultural fabric of African American history and heritage, and a defining element of the American experience. The students were also treated to a wonderful solo performance by Shari Rhone, a member of JazzAntiqua.
In concluding comments, Ricka Kelsch underscored the responsibility artists have to make a positive difference in the world and bring joy. It is not enough to dazzle with flashy dance moves. There needs to be a sense of purpose and meaning behind any performance. This can start right now in school dance classes, with more accomplished dancers taking the time to encourage and support their fellow students who may be struggling.
While it is hard to measure the extent to which any of us can grow in a single day, the students left this event with a renewed love of dance and a sense of new possibilities and responsibilities as Citizen Artists.
Photos by Michael Amico.