Francis Parker students help kids give dancing a whirl
People are always telling you to do what you love, but for Francis Parker students and longtime dancers Alena Callahan and Isabella Haack, extraordinary times called for exceptional measures. So instead of just doing what they love in a time when the world seemed stuck in place, they decided to share what they love.
The happy result is Distant Dancers, a new program offering free virtual dance classes to kids in underserved communities. The 40-minute sessions, held Fridays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m., usually include a stretching warm-up, a fun “Simon Says” game to teach dance positions, and new routines built around kidfriendly themes.
Alena and Isabella, who have been studying with the San Diego Ballet since they were 4 years old, launched Distant Dancers program in October. The first class was Halloweenthemed, and only two students showed up. But for the two 17-year-old juniors, it was no tricks and all treats. It still is.
“I remember we were just so excited
to get anybody to come to our class, even if it was just two kids who were siblings,” Alena said from her home in Point Loma. “We didn’t care that it was a small class. We were just
so happy to be able to teach. It is just so cool to be creative and teach choreography.”
The idea for Distant Dancers grew