Inside of the studios at iibada Dance Company in Indianapolis, dancers are learning how to express themselves. Leaders say dancing helps the kids they serve build confidence.
"I love to dance because it makes me feel comfortable in my own skin, and I get to express myself without talking," Leslie Raysor-Love said.
Many of the dancers come from under served areas of the city. Iibada dancers and alumni say they are part of a family, one that focuses on the overall well being of every dancer.
"It's been really good being able to be around people that I've grown up with and have someone I can call a family and a home," Zora Tucker Edmonds said. "Also, getting to dance around people who look like me since when I look on TV there's not many people."
The company was founded by Sabra Logan nearly 35 years ago and operates out of Broadway United Methodist Church near College Avenue and Fall Creek Parkway.
"When you look around, it doesn't look like some of the larger studios that have been around," Tierre Clark, iibada's interim executive director said.
But for Clark, iibada is home.
"I came here when I was 11 years old and I danced here until I went to college and then I came back to teach when I had my own children," Clark said.
Iibada Dance Company was chosen this summer to receive a community support grant from Impact 100.
The organization received an $11,000 grant from the charitable women's giving organization. The funding is helping to pay for mental health professionals and upgrades to their dance studios.
"It helps us tremendously because when funds are unrestricted, we can use them for our studio needs, capacity building, pour into our dancers more," Clark said.
At iibada, one thing that sets the dance company apart from others in the city, is the focus on African dance and the history behind it.
Aside from teaching proper technique and different styles of dance, there's an intentional focus on how dancers feel on the inside.
"Dance is so much more than just what you see physically. It’s self-confidence. It’s self esteem. It’s discipline. It's self-control," Clark said.
"Coming here will show you not only how to dance but how to truly be yourself in your own skin without having to feel any judgment toward yourself or from others," Raysor-Love said.
Dancers are preparing for their upcoming production “Motion Pictures.” The performance is a celebration of movie classics through the art of dance.
Show times include:
- Student matinee Friday, October 4th @ 10 am
- General public: 7 pm on Friday, October 4th, 2 pm & 6 pm on Saturday, October 5th
