News

January 13, 2008

Shy and awkward elementary students learn to rhumba and foxtrot their way to grace and self-confidence through dance program
By MICHELE MANDEL

"Dance frame please. Feet together. Music please."

Postures erect, hands clasped, elbows high, they stare into each other's eyes and then in remarkable unison, miniature Fred Astaires and Ginger Rogerses glide into the fox-trot as their parents and teachers cheer them on.
Several months ago, they were awkward tweens with little self-confidence and few social graces. Yesterday, as they sailed across the dance floor, twirling and dipping to music from an era far different than their own, these poised 10- and 11-year-olds had been magically transformed into young ladies and gentlemen. It's even astounded the kids themselves.

"Before we started, some of the boys didn't really want to do it because they thought it would be weird and nasty to dance with a girl," explains sixth-grader Karine Mwamaba, fresh from her amazing swing dance that helped Regent Park's St. Paul elementary school win one of the three gold medals. "But after, they really enjoyed it."

In its inaugural year, 14 elementary schools in the GTA have joined the Dancing Classrooms project which teaches formal dancing twice a week to children in Grades 5 and 6. Yesterday, the top seven schools each sent a team of six couples to the Palais Royale ballroom to show off their merengue, fox trot, tango, swing and rhumba in the first Colours of the Rainbow Team Match .

SUAVE FOUNDER

Watching them all with pride was Pierre Dulaine, the suave founder of Dancing Classrooms, who flew in from New York to emcee the first international outpost of his program that teaches pre-teens civility, elegance and self-confidence through the unlikely method of ballroom dance. Born in Jaffa, Dulaine eventually moved to England with his family where the 14-year-old found it difficult to fit in. "I had a broken tooth and I spoke English with an accent," recalls Dulaine, 63. "Kids made fun of me. One of my few friends went to a dance school near my home and I decided to go with. It turned me into a confident person." The award-winning ballroom dancer went on to star on Broadway and start his own dance company. Knowing how much dancing had changed his life, he asked a principal friend whether he could share those lessons with the students. In 1994, Dancing Classrooms was born. It is now part of the grade-school curriculum in New York City and has expanded across the United States after being the subject of the 2005 documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom, and the 2006 movie Take the Lead, filmed in Toronto with Antonio Banderas playing Dulaine.

MANY LIBERTIES

"The message was the same," he laughs, in explaining how Hollywood took many liberties with his story. "I believe the world in general has lost a lot of civility and this is a way to return to civility," he continues. "To be honest, I'm not interested if they later remember the dances they learned. What stays with them is that they have integrated with another human being with respect." It was after seeing the movie that social worker Ilsa Abraham decided Dancing Classrooms was exactly what was needed to help at-risk Toronto kids. "Pierre's program is pro-active," she explains passionately before the competition begins. "Grade 5 is the perfect time when they are at an age when they are still open and malleable. This teaches them about gender respect, teamwork and co-operation.

"They're learning without realizing they're learning."

That may be so, but some of the kids weren't initially keen on the idea. Marc Paras, like most 11-year-old boys, thought he was going to die when his sixth grade at Scarborough's St. Edmund Campion learned a professional dance instructor would be teaching them to tango and rhumba.

"Oh man," he recalls groaning. "I gotta dance?"

Not only dance -- but dance with a girl. For the once-shy boy, the worst part was having to hold his partner. Once he got over that, he discovered dancing was not only fun, but that he was actually good at it. "Merengue's my favourite," explains the silver medallist.

"It has upbeat motions and it's lively."

Keelesdale Jr. Public School principal Helen Gill had to fight back tears as her team captured one of the three golds yesterday (the third went to Pope Paul.) She hounded Abraham as soon as she heard Dancing Classrooms was coming here and was thrilled when her school was one of 14 chosen.

"Our school is located in one of the lowest income areas in the province and most of our students don't have access to private music lessons and private dance lessons," she says. "At first, they didn't even know what ballroom dancing was."

As her kids have filled their dance cards with tangos and merengues these last 10 weeks, she's watched their self esteem grow as well as their respect for others. Their parents were supportive, if mystified, she says, but were amazed by their children's progress when they performed publicly for the first time at their school's showcase. At the end, when the kids invited their parents to join them on the dance floor, there wasn't a dry eye in the place.

"It's been worth a million bucks," Gill beams.

The idea, Dulaine had explained, is to teach children how to take a bow. Yesterday, the incredible little dancers did just that.