Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1510185
K Ballerina Rylyn Harris, in a Misty-Copeland- inspired photo taken for Kendrick Academy's 2022 "Inspire" calendar. Photo by M. Carson Photography. aran Kendrick of Kendrick Academy wanted to create the dance studio she says she didn't have growing up in Fort Valley. Faith Madison Holton was born to do this, emphasizing, "Dance has always inherently been in me," as she stepped into her mother's pointe shoes at Madison Studio Pilar Wilder Lowden sparked the inspiration for Hayiya Dance Theatre while still a freshman at Wesleyan College. And Alice Strawn Sheridan was fulfilling a decades-long dream shared by dozens of others in the community with The Jean Evans Weaver Center for Dance. Famous choreographer Merce Cunningham explained, "The most essential thing in dance discipline is devotion." These artistic leaders may have different curriculums, philosophy, and programs, but their brands are all years in the making, and they share a devotion for serving more children with quality training and enrichment. The teaching artists I spoke to had similar insights about what would strengthen the dance community in Macon and Central Georgia. They discussed common themes that, in combination, form a graceful approach to nurturing the next generation and preparing them to shine in the spotlight. An open door for every dancer Every leader I spoke to aimed for greater inclusion. "If our studios were all filled to the max, we still wouldn't be serving every child in Middle Georgia," said Karan Kendrick, illustrating the need for more programs. In an advocacy brief, Dance/USA, the national service organization for dance, notes that, "There are huge, persistent disparities in access to arts education," citing that schools with a higher concentration of students in poverty were less likely to offer arts education. Kendrick feels that a broad array of courses is a major asset to any child's education. Her studio curriculum goes beyond ballet to include Modern and Horton dance styles and acting and filmmaking coursework. Audiences might know Kendrick from acting roles in major films including The Hunger Games, Hidden Figures, and The Hate U Give. In trying to return the kind of training that made her successful to her hometown, Kendrick was influenced by her time at Spelman College with Debbie Allen as a guest artist, as well as other Black- led choreographers and companies like Pearl Primus and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Part of that training was being boldly proud of what makes each dancer unique. "We are going to show up as ourselves," explained Kendrick, describing when she entered her Kendrick Academy students into a national competition in Orlando. Dance competitions o en feature dancers with slicked-back buns and straight ponytails.