Virginia Little ’19 has seen progress and growth in the students with disabilities she has worked with as a volunteer with the Dancing Above the Barre program for the past seven years.
Virginia Little ’19, an Elon Teaching Fellow double-majoring in special education and middle grades education with a concentration in social studies, has been volunteering with the Dancing Above the Barre program for approximately seven years. Her experiences in the program have allowed her to see progress and growth in students with disabilities.
The classes meet once a week for eight weeks, ending in a performance showing off the student’s hard work. The dances are specially tailored to each student, allowing their dancing to fit their physical therapy needs.
“I have seen students go from crying in every class to rocking a public performance,” Little said. They have gone “from needing assistance to walk to running all over the classroom.”
College students that assist in the program have to attend training sessions before classes, and they also meet with the dancers and their families before teaching.
In her time volunteering in the program, Little has seen many successes in students. “Arguably my favorite success story has been that of Lexi Eyer. A beautiful soul who is used to being confined to a wheelchair gets to be a ballerina once a week,” Little said. “Our greatest accomplishment, by far, was my getting to be a part of her taking some of her first independent steps.”
The students that Little has helped have been able to perform their ballet routines, showing off their progress.
The School of Greensboro Ballet is the Triad’s only nonprofit classical ballet school, according to their website. Dancing Above the Barre helps students with any sort of needs, allowing students who otherwise would not have been able to participate in a typical dance class to have the special experience of a dance recital.
Anyone looking for volunteer opportunities with the school should contact Virginia Little at vlittle2@elon.edu.