If you find yourself on RCMA’s Immokalee campus on any given Saturday, you might hear the pitter-patter of little dancer’s feet, compliments of their first ever ballet class. At the Child Development Center there, a group of twenty spirited four- and five-year-old girls have embarked on a journey that ignites the spirit of dance and fuel their dreams of a better tomorrow.
The story begins with Gloria Padilla, Community Relations Manager at RCMA. One day, while watching her granddaughter Gia twirl gracefully at a ballet class, she thought about the children at RCMA and how they, too, would benefit from a dance class. As luck would have it, she met up with Elysia Dawn, formerly of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, current CEO of the United Arts Collier (UAC), and a former international ballerina in her own right. Their collaboration was like a symphony of creativity and purpose, weaving together the threads of possibility for the young girls of Immokalee.
“UAC is proud to partner with RCMA to share the arts, in this case ballet, with the children that they serve,” said Elysia. “Seeing the little dancer’s eyes light up while they’re learning is a tremendous gift and we deeply appreciate all of the partners and sponsors that are helping to make this possible.”
Today, in the dance studio of the RCMA campus, echoes of laughter and tiny dancing feet fill the air as the girls now embark on their ballet adventure. With additional collaboration from the Gulfshore Ballet, these young dancers get the opportunity to learn ballet from the Artistic Director of the Gulfshore Ballet Iliana Lopez. Those 20 students have also received tights, ballet shoes, leotards, and skirts as a part of the program offering.
With their first practices completed, the girls are working hard to prepare for their first-ever recital scheduled for this May. RCMA is extremely grateful to Elysia Dawn, Iliana Lopez, United Arts Collier, and the Gulfshore Ballet for their support and their dedication to the arts. Thanks to them, dreams are taking flight with each graceful arabesque and delicate pirouette.
