Darby's Dancers- a non profit dance program for children with special needs

​It has been on my heart for quite some time to have a program that is accessible to all abilities. As a parent of a special needs child, I have recognized how it becomes increasingly difficult for a child to have their own activities when they can no longer (or never could) keep up with the other children their age. When I discovered Darby’s Dancers, a national nonprofit organization that provides dance education for children with special needs this past summer, I knew it would be a perfect fit for the family culture at Dance Arts Academy and not only would my child be able to have a dance class of her own, but we would have the opportunity to share the joy and power of dance with many other special needs children!
It has been a process to get our chapter of Darby’s Dancers up and running, but I am happy to announce that starting in January 2019, we will be running two classes of Darby’s Dancers on Saturday mornings! At the time of this post, we have 15 children registered for Darby’s Dancers classes and I am excited for the possibilities of how many more we can reach!
Although the parents of Darby’s Dancers are not charged for the lessons and supplies associated with the program, there are costs that we need help fundraising for. The students need dance shoes and clothing, and costumes for the spring recitals. The Darby’s Dancers classes will have the opportunity to perform with the other Dance Arts Academy classes at our spring recital, so be watching for their debut performance! If you, or someone you know would be interested in sponsoring a child, please get in touch with me and I can give you more details. Any donation is tax deductible and very much appreciated.
Another way that young people can get involved with Darby’s Dancers is by becoming a volunteer and a one on one mentor to a Darby’s Dancer. Many of the special needs children need assistance in class and it is a special gift to bond with a special needs child. If you know a teen or young adult who would be interested in volunteering on Saturday mornings, please reach out!
This program has me excited for the future, as I know the power dance can have in the lives of young people and I love that we can share it with more children!
Dotty Hancock