Transforming Lives Through Dance

Written by Aurelia Spaulding
Photo by Benjamin Severance

Nadia De Leon believes dance, as a form of social activism, can be used to transform the lives of youth, as well as adults.

A few summers ago, De Leon began working with a program called Raices - Identity in Motion. Raices, meaning roots, taught the youth about Hispanic arts and cultures. They discussed music, dance, and leadership topics. Older students talked about immigration, being bi-lingual, and topics unique to them.

De Leon’s work with Raices expanded as she traveled to Miami, Florida to teach at different afterschool centers in low socio-economic areas. She included a physical education aspect, then dance and education, and finishing with yoga.

“You don’t always have to be the one teaching. You can even work with things you don’t know about, and pull it out from the kids themselves,” De Leon said regarding her work with youth and what other teachers discussed at the American Dance Therapy Association Conference in the spring.

As De Leon finishes up her Master’s Degree in Folk Studies, she reflects on previous accounts of social activism with dance and looks forward to upcoming efforts produced through Kali Collective.

“For a lot of girls, dance is something they can be proud of. For girls that do ballet specifically, they develop a lot of discipline and self-confidence. Getting up on stage, a lot of teenage girls, I think, really have issues with self-confidence, and getting up on stage can really change that.“

With self-confidence building in mind, Nadia works through Kali Collective “to generate dance/movement educational programming that serve our communities.”

According to their website, De Leon, along with Crystal Kaya, started Kali Collective to address body-image and emotional wellbeing; fitness; community building; and empowerment for girls and women.
Growing up dancing, De Leon started teaching dance at age 12. “That (dancing) is what I have done all my life. So, when I think of what I can do in any situation, to help, or to teach, or anything, dance is what I do.”

De Leon teaches Latin dances such as Zumba, Salsa, Tango, Latin Dances, Belly Dance, and Yogalates, a mix of yoga, ballet, and palates.

In the last year, she has worked with youth at Cumberland Trace Elementary as part of their MultiCultural Enhancement Program, as well as a few sessions of dance for the youth in Kaleidoscope Youth in Arts Program.

As De Leon finishes up her Master’s, she looks forward to working more with youth through Kali Collective to address social issues.