Celebrate the Beat "Makes Me Feel Like Somebody"

I arrived inside the Vilar Performing Arts Center to the sound to a loud, energetic piano and clapping hands. In front of me were thirty kids spinning, jumping, stomping their feet and smiling big as they rehearsed for the Celebrate the Beat End-of-Year performance. This was my first time to see the program in action, and my first time to meet Tracy Straus, founder and artistic director of the nation-wide Celebrate the Beat after-school program. I was so impressed by her enthusiasm and obvious passion for children and dance, and was equally impressed by the quality of performance the students gave.

Jocelyn Sanchez, a student at Avon Elementary, approached me just after dancing on stage. Catching her breath, she was able to articulate just why Celebrate the Beat has meant so much to her over the past four years. "My favorite part about CTB is how you get motivated and active and how you get to show how you feel inside. It makes you feel like you're somebody, not somebody else in the dark shadow."

Just those few sentences from Jocelyn proved to me why this program is so valuable to our community, and more importantly, to the lives of each of these students.
-Melissa

Watch the quick interviews with Tracy Straus and Jocelyn below.

Posted in: Celebrate the Beat,Education,Vail Valley Foundation