In the News
Dance Beat, the newsletter of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute and Colburn Dance Council, recently featured an article by CDI's Founder and a former CDI student. We hope you enjoy the article.
A Former Student's Voice
by Paulo Hernandez and Carole Valleskey
Unlike most 18 year olds, Paulo Hernandez knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. "My dream is to finish college, join The Joffrey Ballet, have a long career, and then become the Dean of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California,” Paulo said. “I never would have had this dream if it weren’t for dance and the California Dance Institute. The Dance Institute led me to Colburn.”
The California Dance Institute is an in-school dance and music program in Los Angeles area public schools. The Dance Institute’s mission is to motivate children to develop a personal standard of excellence by instilling confidence, discipline, and focus through the rigor and joy of dance.
A Former Student's Voice
by Paulo Hernandez and Carole Valleskey
Unlike most 18 year olds, Paulo Hernandez knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. "My dream is to finish college, join The Joffrey Ballet, have a long career, and then become the Dean of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California,” Paulo said. “I never would have had this dream if it weren’t for dance and the California Dance Institute. The Dance Institute led me to Colburn.”
The California Dance Institute is an in-school dance and music program in Los Angeles area public schools. The Dance Institute’s mission is to motivate children to develop a personal standard of excellence by instilling confidence, discipline, and focus through the rigor and joy of dance.
The California Dance Institute is the California affiliate of the National Dance Institute, founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet’s Jacques d’Amboise. In its 13-year history, The California Dance Institute has served over 14,000 Los Angeles area children. The program is unique in the arts education world because its focus is not on achieving mastery of a particular dance form, but rather on recognizing and striving for excellence. The athletic, high-energy dance style appeals to boys and girls alike, and studies have shown that participation in the program improves students’ academic performance and self-confidence. While the program is not designed to train professional dancers, it prepares children for further study in dance should they have the talent and interest.
“Before participating in the California Dance Institute, I always felt a little out of place," Paulo said. "I wasn’t the tallest or the fastest kid; I was just little chubby Paulo who worried too much about getting fours on his report card and winning the handball match. But when I found dance in the fourth grade my entire life changed. I found my place.”
California Dance Institute's Founder and Director Carole Valleskey, a former principal dancer with The Joffrey Ballet, said of her former student, “From the first step I gave Paulo in fourth grade, it was clear he had to dance. There was such an energy and joy whenever he moved.”
Paulo started to look forward to going to school so that he could dance. “Nothing had given me more joy or had helped me forget about all my troubles," he said. "As I continued with the program, I moved up in rankings, all the way to EXCEL, the top performing team at the Dance Institute. This gave me confidence like nothing else. Not many kids got the opportunity to be in elite groups at such a young age. I felt special.”
“Before participating in the California Dance Institute, I always felt a little out of place," Paulo said. "I wasn’t the tallest or the fastest kid; I was just little chubby Paulo who worried too much about getting fours on his report card and winning the handball match. But when I found dance in the fourth grade my entire life changed. I found my place.”
California Dance Institute's Founder and Director Carole Valleskey, a former principal dancer with The Joffrey Ballet, said of her former student, “From the first step I gave Paulo in fourth grade, it was clear he had to dance. There was such an energy and joy whenever he moved.”
Paulo started to look forward to going to school so that he could dance. “Nothing had given me more joy or had helped me forget about all my troubles," he said. "As I continued with the program, I moved up in rankings, all the way to EXCEL, the top performing team at the Dance Institute. This gave me confidence like nothing else. Not many kids got the opportunity to be in elite groups at such a young age. I felt special.”
After a couple of years with watching Paulo’s talent and enthusiasm grow, Ms. Valleskey discussed options for her student with former Joffrey Ballet colleagues Glen Edgerton and Leslie Carothers at the Colburn School. "I wanted to get him a scholarship to attend the Colburn School. They and the school generously agreed.”
For Paulo, it was an honor to be at Colburn and to work with male dancers. "For the longest time I was one of few boys who actually felt comfortable in ballet. Working with Hesen and Glenn only furthered my drive to dance. I looked up to and admired every teacher I had. They furthered my technique and gave me the confidence to reach the level I am at today."
Without these experiences, Paulo feels he may never have discovered the joy of dance, which has become his life's calling. "The programs I attended, including the Colburn School, helped me to get to the point where dance is my life. I am so grateful.”
Click Here for the Full Dance Beat Edition
For Paulo, it was an honor to be at Colburn and to work with male dancers. "For the longest time I was one of few boys who actually felt comfortable in ballet. Working with Hesen and Glenn only furthered my drive to dance. I looked up to and admired every teacher I had. They furthered my technique and gave me the confidence to reach the level I am at today."
Without these experiences, Paulo feels he may never have discovered the joy of dance, which has become his life's calling. "The programs I attended, including the Colburn School, helped me to get to the point where dance is my life. I am so grateful.”
Click Here for the Full Dance Beat Edition
Did you know that the incomparable Angela Lansbury is a great supporter of California Dance Institute? Here’s a look back in time at one of the many ways she has helped us.
Have you seen the CDI Promo Video? Enjoy five minutes of sheer, youthful exuberance!
See below for press about CDI!
Have you seen the CDI Promo Video? Enjoy five minutes of sheer, youthful exuberance!
See below for press about CDI!
At Eagle Rock Elementary the children’s attention is riveted on Carole. For many of them, Carole’s is their “funnest” class. But don’t be fooled by the fun. The California Dance Institute’s techniques are highly structured. Carole will often use children to teach children. Today she singles out Elisha Marquez who demonstrates the box step. ‘Sometimes it’s scary,’ says Elisha, ‘but it builds confidence in us and it really helps us in experience.’
Teachers say they can see the impact of dance on their students’ performance in the classroom. Children are more focused, attentive and expressive. Laurel Hitchcock is a fourth grade teacher at Eagle Rock Elementary. ‘I’m seeing tremendous increases in writing skills. They leave dance and they’re energized and they’re freer. All of that is such a wonderful academic gift.’
Teachers say they can see the impact of dance on their students’ performance in the classroom. Children are more focused, attentive and expressive. Laurel Hitchcock is a fourth grade teacher at Eagle Rock Elementary. ‘I’m seeing tremendous increases in writing skills. They leave dance and they’re energized and they’re freer. All of that is such a wonderful academic gift.’
—Val Zavala, KCET’s Life & Times
Virtues, says Valleskey, are habits, and dance, as taught by CDI, is habituation in many of the skills of learning, as well as the components of good character. Dance, properly taught, is like sport, properly understood. CDI is inexpensive. Operating on a financial shoestring…CDI is a gift to a few of this city’s public schools. It makes one marvel at what educational improvements could be achieved with small sums in the service of something much scarcer than money — imagination.
—George F. Will, The Washington Post
Valleskey teaches while participating, stomping, shaking, clapping and kicking right along with the kids, and falling to the floor in mock anguish when something goes wrong, adding laughter to the demands of doing it right and having fun at the same time.
Anglos, Asians, African Americans and Latinos shared the rehearsal floor as a pianist banged away and as the kids threw themselves into the dance with the unrestricted abandon of magical creatures whirling in the wind. When I asked some of the children — Lupe, Ali, Elizabeth, Juan, Frances and Alonna — why they were there, all had a variety of reasons, but it took Frances to simplify it. “Dancing,” she said, “makes me happy.” Total and utter bliss is a rare human condition, too often limited to moments in childhood that begin to fade when the world beyond dancing opens to a growing up fraught with peril.
Anglos, Asians, African Americans and Latinos shared the rehearsal floor as a pianist banged away and as the kids threw themselves into the dance with the unrestricted abandon of magical creatures whirling in the wind. When I asked some of the children — Lupe, Ali, Elizabeth, Juan, Frances and Alonna — why they were there, all had a variety of reasons, but it took Frances to simplify it. “Dancing,” she said, “makes me happy.” Total and utter bliss is a rare human condition, too often limited to moments in childhood that begin to fade when the world beyond dancing opens to a growing up fraught with peril.
—Al Martinez, The Los Angeles Times
