American Ballet Theater principal dancer Misty Copeland knows what it’s like to grow up poor and what it feels like to have dance be an escape for the harsh world around you. Recently, she was in Kigali, Rwanda to help MindLeaps, a non-profit that “uses dance as a way to attract street youth into formal education,” launch its first girls program there. She recounts some of her experiences in the vlog above.
MindLeaps seeks to help transition street kids into formal education through dance, which improves their cognitive development and behavioral skills, preparing them for more structured learning. Eventually, the program incorporates English and IT classes to prepare the children for either boarding school, or a workplace environment. Through its International Artists Fund, MindLeaps brings professionals like Copeland in to join the children and raise awareness and support for street children around the world.
In addition to being there to award one top dance student the Misty Copeland Scholarship so that he will be able to attend boarding school, Copeland was also there to help launch MindLeap’s first-ever Girls Program at the MindLeaps center in Kigali. Now, out-of-school girls will have the chance to participate in the dance classes and have a better chance at an education, as well as receive food and basic health care.
The International Artists Fund is currently raising funds for its next scholarships. If you want to check out more information, you can visit them here.
(via Pointe Magazine; Featured Image via Gary Gershoff for Getty Images)
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