CELEBRATE the BEAT
Tapping into the joy and possibility within kids through dance By Kimberly Nicoletti
Every child has a powerful beat within. We teach them to find it, hear it, feel it, embrace it, express it and celebrate it so they can be empowered by it in every aspect of their lives.
This is the guiding principle of Celebrate the Beat (CTB), a national nonprofit introduced
50
VAILDANCE.ORG
to the Vail Valley by Heather Watts and Damian Woetzel in his first year as director of the Vail Dance Festival. In 2020, the Vail Valley Foundation brought the local CTB branch under its wing as an official program of YouthPower365. A quality arts education program, CTB impacts children of all abilities through movement and dance. The program embraces the heartbeat of YouthPower365’s mission to “inspire, educate, and empower youth and families.” Vail Valley Foundation’s YouthPower365 strives to serve “Every Child, Every Day” through academics, social-emotional learning, and enrichment. From the Magic Bus preschool to afterschool programs, from mentoring to scholarships, YouthPower365 walks hand in hand with youth until they launch into college
Ron Myles performs with Celebrate the Beat in 2016. Photo by Erin Baiano.
or career. CTB is now a shining star among the YouthPower365 opportunities, available in every public school in the Vail Valley. YouthPower365’s commitment to youth and their success never wavered during the pandemic, and CTB embraced that commitment this past year, reaching more than 1,000 students through virtual programming. In partnership with CTB in Colorado, the
program hosted online classes focused on dance, yoga, fitness, music lessons and brain breaks to kids ages 3 through 12. Aligned with YouthPower365’s education and enrichment, CTB intertwined learning into these activities on everything from the solar system to math. The program will return to the stage for the first time this summer and dance its way into schools this fall. Professional
Bill Irwin performs with Celebrate the Beat in 2017. Photo by Erin Baiano.
