Innovation

Dedication’s Dance Academy (DDA) is taking a stand against childhood and adult obesity. After the Artistic Director, Mr. Raymond Young, learned about the alarming number of children and adults who are obese, he became inspired to incorporate health, wellness, and nutrition into his dance program. During the interview, Mr. Young stated, “Our objective at Dedication Dance Academy is to provide an atmosphere or to provide a platform for children and adults to develop not only their physical ability, but their artistic ability as well, with an emphasis on nutrition, health, and wellness.”

Dedications Dance Academy is achieving this by (1) requiring all dance students to partake in a fitness class at least once a week to be eligible to participate in dance performances, (2) offering discounted tuition to parents who pledge to be active along with their children by participating in a minimum of two fitness classes per week, and (3) offering free fitness classes three times a week to community residents and other locals. Students at Dedications Dance Academy have the opportunity to dance at a number of events each month.

They highly anticipate any chance they have to display their creative expression through the art of dance. Students who have not fulfilled their weekly fitness requirement are not eligible to participate in these outings. This helps the students understand the importance of maintaining their commitment to their fitness class. DDA recognizes that parents play the primary role in the health and wellness of their children. Therefore, they are encouraging parents to become involved with their children, so that what they learn at DDA is incorporated into their everyday lives. The required fitness classes for the dance students are free of charge; parents can also participate in the free fitness classes for adults, twice a week, to receive a discount off their tuition. Access to free fitness classes are not limited to students and parents of DDA.

Dedications Dance Academy is located in a low income area where not all residents can afford the cost of a gym membership or a personal trainer. For this reason, community residents and locals are welcomed and highly encouraged to take advantage of the free fitness classes that are available. Many of them also do not have access to the available resources that educate on health, wellness, and nutrition. Once a month, DDA brings in someone who specializes in fitness and or nutrition to educate those persons who are interested on the importance of proper exercise and nutrition. They even offer free health screenings (blood pressure, glucose testing, HIV/AIDS testing) quarterly.

Inspiration

Mr. Young became inspired to take a stand against childhood and adult obesity because of an encounter he had with an aspiring dancer and her mother. The young child saw dancers from Dedications Dance Academy at a performance and approached Mr. Young indicating that she wanted to dance. When he asked the young child’s mother why she had not enrolled her in classes, she replied “She is too fat to be a dancer”. This broke Mr. Young’s heart, because he encourages persons of all shapes and sizes to express themselves through the art of dance if they are passionate about it.

Having observed that the mother was also overweight, he pondered on how he could address this problem. After doing research, he was alarmed that the statistics showed approximately 1/3 of both children and adults are obese. This prompted Mr. Young to implement fitness into his program in a way that not only involved his adolescent students, but their parents, and the community.

Overall impact

The implementation of health and fitness into DDA has had a positive impact on the lives of those involved with the program. The fitness requirement has been very beneficial to the dancers because their stamina has improved which helps them during performances. The dancers have routines that last as long as 15 minutes, so it is crucial that they have the endurance needed to maintain their energy. Students, parents, and community residents are learning about the dangers of obesity as well as other fitness and health related topics. The dance students are required to complete monthly homework assignments in addition to weekly their fitness requirement. This is allowing them to have a deeper understanding of why Mr. Young has implemented this component into his dance academy.

By offering incentives to the parents that are becoming involved in the fitness class, Mr. Young has observed that it has had a positive impact on the students. “My students get excited about seeing their parents involved in the fitness classes. It increases their level of commitment, because they see their parents participating and it inspires them to want to do the same.” Mr. Young reported that several of his students that were overweight made significant strides due to the fitness requirement. Approximately 1/3 of the students who participate show a decrease in weight within the first month. Additionally, approximately 25% of the parents are attending at least one fitness class per week.

Mr. Young hopes to increase participation by making adjustments to the current scheduling so there are fitness classes at the same time as most of the dance classes. This will prevent parents from having to come out an additional day. Community residents and other locals are excited to have access to free fitness classes, workshops, and health screenings. Nicole Kitchen, a community resident, stated “I am extremely grateful for the services that DDA provides to the community. I had been wanting to be more active, but being a single mom, I could not afford the added expense of a gym membership. When I heard about what DDA was doing, I could not wait to be a part. Mr. Young provides a family friendly environment to educate others on health and fitness. The classes are difficult, but he constantly encourages us to push ourselves to the limit.” The adult fitness classes are proving to be a success. Attendance has more than tripled from when he first began offering the classes 10 years ago.

Business benefit

When DDA was originally founded, it did not place an emphasis on health and fitness; this was something that later evolved. Offering this added component to the existing business model has allowed the company to expand and tap into a market of consumers who are concerned about health and fitness, but not necessarily interested in taking dance classes. The free fitness class has helped provide additional exposure to the business. As a result, the business is thriving and has had to add additional dance classes to accommodate the volume of students.

Social and environmental benefit

Dedications Dance Academy has offered a way for students, parents, and the community to have access to fitness classes, education on health and nutrition, and health screenings at no cost to them. DDA’s efforts is helping to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that individuals with lower incomes are more likely to become obese. Since DDA is housed in a low income area, the services provided are especially beneficial. DDA offers a warm and loving environment where anyone who desires to be a part is welcomed.

Interview

Raymond Young, Artistic Director/Owner