The Matthew Whaley Dance Club pauses outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Julie Jones, music teacher at Matthew Whaley elementary school, recently traveled to Washington, D.C. with a gaggle of wide-eyed young people. For many it was their first trip to our nation’s capitol. These children, many of whom fall under poverty guidelines, have been studying dance after school through a free program developed by Mrs. Jones at MW.
Like many of our grant recipients, Mrs. Jones has cobbled together funding from a variety of sources, including the WCF, in order to make some dreams come true for her students. As a special treat for all of their work during the year, they were given the opportunity to watch a professional dance performance of Debbie Allen’s “Oman.”
The goal of the program is to help students achieve physical fitness and expose them to the arts through dance. Annual or semi-annual opportunities to view the work of professional artists are used to reinforce the training the children receive in the classroom.