6 minute read
Anti-Bullying (Zion
DanceZion
ANTI-BULLYING
By Michelle Elizabeth Photography: Halban Photography (@halbanphotography)
Zion Rupert (IG: @DanceZion525) is a 9-year-old boy from Sherman Oaks, California, who fell in love with dance at the age of 3. Zion is the middle sibling of two brothers, (Israel and Levi Rupert), who are all being raised by their father, Sylvester Rupert, who's a single parent. Zion initially became interested in dance by seeing the art in action. Zion’s dad (who is his biggest cheerleader) motivates him to keep going by always being present, taking him to all his rehearsals, and reminding him that he can do anything when he allows passion to lead.
Formally trained in many styles of dance, Zion is a multi-faceted performer. He states, “I have been dancing with Ms. Debbie Allen since I was 4 years old at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Ms. Debbie Allen has been one of the biggest inspirations in my life." Adding to his training, Zion also later became a student at Marat Daukeyev School of Ballet where he's learning Russian Ballet.
When asked what he likes most about dancing, Zion will answer that he likes the many different costumes he gets to wear, and the ability to perform on a stage in front of a lot of people. He says the hardest part of dance is the fact that it is incredibly time consuming; the hours can sometimes feel endless. However, when it comes down to it, the good aspects of the fine arts most definitely outshine the bad ones. Zion loves the amazing memories that he has made so far, saying, “There are so many wonderful memories to choose from. One of my favorite memories was being offered a leading role in a film called ‘Slow Pulse’ written and directed by Marshall Tyler. I played a boy named Jacob who was being raised by a single father. Jacob was a dancer whose dreams got cut short when he was involved in a hit and run, causing him to wind up in a coma. A couple other memories include (which is my favorite) being in the ongoing production of Ms. Debbie Allen's "Hot Chocolate Nutcracker," where this past year I got to play the son, Franky. I also enjoyed playing Fritz in Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Ballet.’” Unfortunately, not all the memorable experiences were good ones. Like many other children, Zion has been the victim of bullying. It all began around the age of 6, and it has continued throughout his life in various situations. He was targeted for being seen as "different." Kids made fun of his skin color, the texture of his hair, and the fact that he is a boy that dances. He was told black boys especially are not real dancers and they only do Hip-Hop. Zion is trained in Vaganova Ballet, African, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Modern, Horton, Hip-Hop, and Flamenco.” Aside from that Zion trains as a gymnast, a tumbler, contortionist, as well as parkour and tricking. Zion
says, “At school it was this one kid who would always make fun of me and even give me the middle finger. In class there were other kids who would call me stupid, telling me I'm dumb, call me ugly, and would tease me about being a dancer. I was even called the “n” word before. This made me feel very sad and really hurt my feelings. Sometimes I would cry alone wondering why people didn't like me. When I would tell the teachers, the mean kids would make up lies saying I called them names first. I told my dad, who is very protective. My dad always comes to my rescue and reassures me how smart, handsome, talented and gifted I am. He always tells me how much he believes in me and how much he loves me. He says to never be silent and to never lose my voice to become someone else’s echo.” Dancing should have been a way for Zion to escape the negativity, however, even in the act of pursuing his passion he wasn’t always protected from ridicule. As being one of the only black boys in a previous ballet school he used to attend, he was also talked about and judged…this coming more from the parents of the kids who had been there longer than Zion. Zion had been placed in a higher level than their child, and he was much younger. The parents were not very happy about that and started to complain. One parent even went as far as threatening to take their money from the school if their child (who was older than Zion) wasn’t placed in the upper levels with Zion or if Zion wasn’t put in a lower level. Despite the negativity, Zion’s determination and devotion to dance helps him continue doing what he loves most. Not to mention, aside from his dad, Zion has a great support team; his God dad Dorien Wilson, his aunt Rahsaana Johnson, and of course his two brothers. They all play a vital role in both his personal and professional life.
Zion is not alone. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, 1 out of every 5 students reported being bullied in 2019. In addition to being bullied, many kids have witnessed their peers being bullied. Zion admits, “I have [seen others being bullied] and I stood up for them by telling the teacher or telling the bully to stop. I would be nice to the kid who was being bullied because I know how it felt.” He wishes bullies would just stop being mean. To all the other victims Zion says, “Standup for yourself and tell someone. Don't wait! Surround yourself with positive friends that make you smile and laugh. And NEVER let anyone tell you what you CAN'T do." Since social media, friends and parents are incredibly influential in the lives of children, it’s important that we all band together and have healthy discussions about the dangers of bullying. We need to work together to put an end to it. According to stopbullying.gov “Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues.” Very often, those damaging effects are carried into adulthood and can create harmful lifelong patterns. Zion suggests having more videos and live demonstrations on the seriousness of bullying as well as adding anti-bullying clubs at school. He says, “I think bullying needs to immediately be dealt with when it happens because sometimes bullies can make kids want to want to commit suicide. That's not fair!"
To make the world a better place, Zion believes that kids and teens should think about other people's feelings. He tries to always give off Good Vibes by just being himself and making his friends laugh. Zion says that he loves to smile. Other passions that Zion has (that most aren't aware of), he really loves cooking and also wants to be a chef and firefighter aside from a professional dancer/choreographer. Two people he truly admires and strive to be like are Alvin Ailey and Ms. Debbie Allen. Zion said he wants to open up his own dance academy to help other kids reach their dreams just like his mentor, Ms. Debbie Allen has done for him and countless other children and young adults.
For other kids who aspire to dance, Zion advises, “Work very hard! Don't give up, especially if this is something you really want to do with your life. And don't just stop at wanting to be a dancer, go ALL THE WAY! Stay in school! Never limit yourself to just one thing. HAVE FUN! Treat this as exactly what it is...moving art! Whatever inspires you to do what you love, focus on that.”
