Boys take to dance

Young boys in Streaky Bay have enthusiasticly embraced dance following an exhilarating three days of  Kicking it from the Kerb dance workshops with visiting dance professionals BBoy Dreaded (Greg Potticary) and Chan Griffin.

Over the three days,  38 young boys aged 5 to 13 participated in workshops in B-Boying (which incorporates BBoying elements including breaking) and Capoeira (a form of martial arts combined with dance and music).  It was a phenomenal response from the young boys in the community.

These workshops are the first in a  series of workshops planned for the Streaky Bay area  as part of the Kicking from the Kerb project.  Kicking it from the Kerb, an inititive of  Instep dance,  aims to ‘take the dance to the boys not the boys to the dance’ by adopting innovative and ‘out there thinkin’ to re-engage, encourage, enable and empower young boys aged 6 years and over in Streaky Bay and districts to take up dance again

Project Coordinator and boys support instructor Renee Johns says “This first visit got off to a flying start with real enthusiasm and high participation rates, clearly demonstrating that the boys in Streaky Bay are keen to take up dance on their own terms.”

One of the project’s strategies is to use innovative places and spaces such as the SK8 Park and the schoolyard.   Just before the workshops the dance professionals performed  spectacluar dance demonstrations  in these public spaces to increase exposure and build interest.  This successfully attracted the boys attention and many followed on to the indoor venues where the workshops were held.

The project team has been encouraged by a group of older boys aged 10 to 13 who are keen to form a dance crew and have been sharing ideas about outfits, music and routines.  Libby Hunt, President of Instep says, “We are delighted that some of the boys have so much energy and are keen to take their dancing further.  One of the project’s aims is to faciltate mentor and mentee relationships and we plan to do this by using online tools to get links out to the boys so they can start checking out moves, routines, styles and music online.  These links will be vetted by the dance professionals who will play a key role in this facilitation.”

Jayne Holland the Arts Officer, Western Eyre for Country Arts SA says “This project is innovative because it is about the adults taking a back seat and allowing the boys to be masters of their own destiny.  This was determined early in Instep’s project planning stage as a key factor to keeping the boys on board for the duration of the project.”

BBoying workshops will next be held in Streaky Bay on Monday May 20 and Tuesday May 21.

All enquires to Renee Johns, Project Manager on 0408 344 623 or [email protected]

Kicking it from the Kerb boys dance project is funded by Carclew Youth Arts, Country Arts SA and Instep Dance in partnership with Crossways Lutheran School, DanCeduna and Step it Up Wudinna.  Instep acknowledges the generous support of the District Councils of Streaky Bay and Wudinna and other stakeholders in Streaky Bay: the Area School, Childrens Centre, Cubs and Scouts, Family Day Care,  Mid West Health and Ocean Livin’ Fitness. This project is kindly supported with low cost accommodation from Streaky Bay Motel and Villas.

For more information on Country Arts SA funding and support click here