Dance Happens Inc

Dance Happens, Inc. (“Dance happens”), which started as vision through a passion and dedication to dance, the arts, and her community by its Artistic Director and Founder, Paula LeVere, is a 501c3 nonprofit dance program designed to bring a love and knowledge of dance to inner city youths of Baltimore, Maryland. Gaining its 501c3 status in June 2011,  Dance Happens started in January 2010 with 9 students but has quickly blossomed with 80-90 students enrolled per session, including 25 dedicated dance company members within the Dance Happens First and Second Companies. 

 

Ms. LeVere, who has more than 33 years of dance experience, has designed Dance Happens to foster a positive learning environment that stimulates creativity and intellectual growth while contributing to artistic, emotional, social, and physical wellbeing of its students. The Dance Happens program is designed to provide a foundation for a lifetime in the arts; to help students develop passion, focus, confidence, and artistic ability; and to give students the opportunity to explore and celebrate different cultures and genres of dance, and enhance their awareness of dance's authentic tradition. Dancers are taught to use dance as a tool to express feelings, accept, and value individual differences, and gain an awareness of their own and others' cultures.

 

As an ally for development of the many attributes of a growing child, Dance Happens seeks to promote higher-level thinking as well as physical and technical skill. A focus on the whole child enables Dance Happens' students to develop thought-provoking experiences through kinesthetic (range of motion, coordination, strength, and endurance), psychological (awareness and appreciation for oneself and others), social awareness (able to communicate ideas and work within a group dynamic), and cognitive development (movement provides a connection between the idea, the problem, and the solution).

 

The Dance Happens' teaching philosophy is centered on high expectations, clear goals, positive motivation, constructive feedback, focus, and hard work. Students are encouraged to build their technique, endurance, and understanding of dance as an art form in a fun and supportive environment.

 

Dance Happens provides free instruction in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, African, tap, and choreography to boys and girls aged 5-17 in the Baltimore area. It holds classes five evenings per week during the fall and spring semesters, has a four-week summer session, and a three-week summer intensive camp. All dancers take classes held at the Mount Royal Recreation Center in the Midtown District of Baltimore City and ultimately exhibit their skills and development in winter and spring recital performances.  In addition, the 25 Dance Happens First and Second Companies members take supplemental classes and perform at events such as the Morgan State Dance Festival and the African American Festival.  As a group, Dance Happens attends area dance performances at venues such as the Lyric, Towson University, and Morgan State University.