Learn How Ballet is Increasing the Resilience of Youth in Kenya

Sleeping Beauty is a must-see, and I hope you will join me for the show and support Dance Center Kenya.  If you can come to Nairobi, Kenya, I invite you to join us on Friday night (March 6) for the opening night or on Saturday (March 7) for the matinee.

It might feel like an expensive Ballet ticket if it means buying a plane ticket, but you can also watch it online from wherever you are in the world. Dance Center Kenya is a unique organization that works diligently to support and enhance the lives of children and youth in Nairobi, Kenya. Your interest and support are greatly appreciated.

You can click the button below to buy a ticket, and then read on to learn more.

If you have read my book, you may remember Cooper Rust, the American ballet dancer, whom I write about in Chapter 3, Passion in Purpose. Cooper has transformed the face of ballet in Africa and created a ripple effect beyond Africa. Cooper has taken her passion for ballet and turned it into a purpose far greater than the performance.

She has welcomed over nineteen children and youth into her home to pursue their interest in ballet. She has secured funding for their education and helped them build futures that extend beyond ballet.

My partner and I are currently staying with Cooper and the six young dancers who live with her. We often join her and “her children,” along with her one-year-old. Homework is reviewed. Life is discussed, challenges are reflected upon and potentially solved. Her one-year-old usually sits happily watching, soaking up the love of his amazing home, where he is being brought up.

Cooper is the founder and director of Dance Center Kenya (DCK), an organization that has grown significantly since its inception 14 years ago.  During that time, Cooper has received numerous awards for her contribution to the lives of others. In March 2024, she received the World Impact Award at the Kenya Theatre Awards in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the lives of young people.

This often extends beyond those who live here. For instance, throughout the show’s weekend, twenty-five performers will be staying at the house. Based on where they live, it is not feasible to transport them later in the evening.

Some of these boys also stay every Friday and Saturday. Last weekend, I taught them how to play spoons. A wonderful teachable opportunity as the younger children learned to recognize four of a kind and differentiate between two pairs.

Saturday morning is spent practicing and getting ready for the show. Here is a snapshot of the two leads as they work to perfect their moves.

I am encouraging you to watch their upcoming Ballet of Sleeping Beauty, not because there are no other ballets to see locally, but because by supporting Dance Center Kenya, you are supporting a purpose much bigger than dance.

There are two online shows, East African Time

Saturday, 7th of March 7 Pm EAT (or March 7 at 8 am PST and 11:00 am EST)

Sunday, 8th of March, 12 pm EAT (or March 8 at 1:00 am and 4:00 am EST)

The news frequently highlights the vulnerability of children in Africa. Through Dance Center Kenya and Artists for Africa (the non-profit founded by Cooper Rust and her family), these vulnerabilities are transformed into opportunities. Ballet demands self-discipline, perseverance, and focus. These qualities build self-confidence and strengthen a young person’s belief in their own potential. Through peer mentoring programs that extend into the neighbouring slums, youth from DCK increase access to education for many more and, simultaneously, develop leadership skills that enhance self-efficacy and future potential.

Resilient Generations seeks to support and promote initiatives that reflect the same vision and values that guide our social enterprise. Resilient Generations seeks to promote programs and practices that help young people move beyond their present circumstances by expanding the opportunities in their lives.

We cannot do it alone, as many of you are aware; it takes a village. Would love you to attend the ballet online and share this opportunity with others who might be interested. You can also donate to this amazing initiative that is changing lives, one dancer at a time, through Artists for Africa.

If you would like to learn more about Cooper Rust and how this relates to resilience and how you too can cultivate more resilience, my book is available on Amazon, and through my website. You might also be interested in the following interview.

Would love you to sign up for my newsletter (four times a year) or subscribe to my blog, which I publish once a week, which focuses on psychological and economic resilience

In Community,

Jacqueline