Our mission at BJM is to build pathways for brighter futures for women and girls in urban communities. And to make these brighter futures happen for youth in our dance classes, we aim to partner with God in how He created us to be. As Christians, we call this “heart, soul, & mind, body. “

But science calls this, “social and emotional, cognitive, & physical development.” And there are countless studies that show that the creative arts impact children in these pillars that were created by God (some arts impact some areas more than others):

Physical Development (Body): fine motor skills like grasping a paintbrush or needle & thread. Gross motor skills like grande jetes & pirouettes.
Social & Emotional Development (Soul): self-regulation & self-control as they focus, problem solve (make choices) — with each step requiring an independent decision - what color? What word? What note?)). collaboration as they create pieces together.
Cognitive Development (Mind): patterning, cause & effect, critical thinking skills
Emotional Development (Heart): helping children explore emotions from a safe place allowing them to know the range, express them in a healthy avenue

But that’s just statistics & numbers - while helpful to have, they don’t have a name or a face to them. In our almost 15 years of experience doing this, we’ve seen how when the girls are consistent, dedicated, and excited by the dance classes / art classes, they are building those brighter futures that we get to dream with them for. They are developing their confidence as they step more into themselves as artists and creators. They are stepping into opportunities for leadership development in the arts sector as they say yes to assisting with or leading classes. They are developing deep relationships (that transcends middle/highschool drama) as they are in safe, vulnerable spaces with other girls and they create together. The numbers support our findings that the dance/arts truly make a difference in these girls’ lives, and when the arts space they are in is redeemed — not your traditional arts space nowadays — it’s an incredibly powerful thing.

-Emily Wu
CreatIve Arts Director

Why Dance?