City in Motion's decades-old Youth Dance Theater keeps its sense of fun and creativity.
You can’t be family-friendly without making space for the kids. City in Motion has understood that since its early days in the Westside. While we offer shows and activities that engage people of all ages, there’s a very special component of City in Motion’s make-up called the Youth Dance Theater (for which enrollment is under way right now!).
Way back in the summer of 1986, City in Motion’s dance training program was born. The idea was that through the program, kids living in the Westside (our first home) would learn how to have fun with dance. The program came from a suggestion from Alvin Ailey, a veteran of the Kansas City modern dance scene, and was fully conceived by Kathleen Kingsley, founding member and school director at the time. Kids with very basic training learned creative movement that started with the premise of, “How do you make interesting shapes?” according to Linda Pruitt, former CIM member and rehearsal assistant. It was all about “the careful sculpting of what kids could do.”
A few years later came the program's first performance to show off what the kids had learned. “Tales of Enchantment,” themed around the lore of Native American peoples, debuted on January 20, 1990. It featured 9 scholarship students and was directed and choreographed by Kathleen. After the success of this show, the program got an official name: the Children’s Dance Theater.
Linda says City in Motion recognized that kids have an ability “to connect and create, and that’s what the Youth Dance Theater can do.”
“The language of dance is so sweet and simple,” she explains, that of course kids find it fun and accessible.
City in Motion's Youth Dance Theater is made up of two components: the Children’s Dance Theater for ages 7 - 12, and the Apprentice Company for ages 13 - 18. The apprentices are trained by CIM's professional company dancers. No traditional experience is required, because hey, we all have to start somewhere! City in Motion takes kids who have a passion for dance and the time to commit to training, which includes modern dance, ballet, and exposure to different varieties of dance, even hula hooping. Kids learn healthy practice habits and perform in the YDT Showcase at the end of the session, where they debut their very own 30-second solo acts.
The program is a huge part of City in Motion's School of Dance. Since we're a nonprofit, in the past, Youth Dance Theater kids sold baked goods and flower crowns for Ren Faire to raise funds. Currently YDT is supported by local foundations like the Flarsheim Charitable Foundation, which also helps City in Motion support scholarships for kids who want to enroll, but whose families can’t afford tuition. (Psst—we have a couple spots left for scholarships!)
“It’s been neat to see how students have grown as artists and how their technique has improved each year,” says Ann Shaughnessy, current YDT director. “It's been great to see their friendships form and that they even spend time together outside of rehearsal.”
That’s something graduates of Youth Dance Theater can attest to as well.
Marina Vianello joined the Children's Dance Theater at the age of six before moving onto apprentice program; her entire YDT training stretched from 2002 to 2014. She was encouraged by her mother, Andrea Skowronek (who had a long tenure at City in Motion that included directing YDT).
Thanks to a sense of “team community” that helped foster collaboration, Marina says, “My creativity was very nurtured there. I learned to respect for space around me, my body, how you’re feeling.” She credits the program for the training it provided—training that earned her a scholarship. “City in Motion essentially helped me pay for college,” she says.
Fellow YDT graduate Sierra Lang’s tenure last from 2001 to 2011.
“I remember having, year after year, incredible teachers who challenged us—these adults that helped shaped us as dancers,” Sierra says. She recalls performing in a piece called “The Little Prince” (choreographed by Penelope Hearne) as when she first “felt capable of putting on a strong performance” (at 14!). It was a long piece that required precise timing to get the big moves right. For the centerpiece, “We built a staircase with our bodies for one dancer to use.”
I guess we can say that you can really reach new heights as a dancer at City in Motion!
Spotlight on Youth Dance Theater Alumni:
Penelope Hearne (also Co-Artistic Director for City in Motion for five seasons)
The goal of Youth Dance Theater has always been to foster a value for creativity and teamwork in young performers. The guidance students receive is based on the fun, open-minded approach dancers like Kathleen, Linda, and Penelope first introduced. If you know a kid who wants to get up and move, fill out an application today. We always have room for more!
