Macon Magazine

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 | maconmagazine.com 41 In contrast, Kendrick said, "All my students were African American, and all but one wore natural hair. Show off your Afros, Afro-puffs, Afro-hawks, twists, braids. They were able to stand fully in who they are – and win." Pilar Wilder Lowden agrees. When she came to Macon as a college student, she noticed there was no one teaching West African dance, like the training she had received in Augusta, Georgia. So she decided to fill the gap with Hayiya Dance Theatre. For many Central Georgians, seeing a Hayiya performance is their first experience with West African dance, whether as a performer or participant. "Hayiya has taught at or performed for nearly every school in the Bibb County School system as well as a host of churches and universities. Yes, yes, yes! Just say the word, and we are there," Lowden has enthused. Opening the door wider, through annual "Thriller" themed Halloween parades to performances at Magnolia Soap Box Derby or the Tubman Museum, can help more people catch the bug for dance. The Jean Evans Weaver Center for Dance opened in 2022 and was named for the founding artistic director of the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia. Current artistic director, Alice Sheridan, explained that one of the visions associated with founding the studio was to have more opportunities for more dancers. "One of our main goals right now is to get a scholarship program going. My mantra is always about training dancers, but I want to offer dance to children that really want it. You know? There's a lot of students here that want to learn and don't have the opportunity. That's the first thing." Sheridan also serves as the artistic director of The Nutcracker annual production, and she believes the vision of The Weaver Center can offer even more possibilities for transforming dancers and dance viewers, just like the founder's vision has been transformative for generations. For many local children, the school performance of The Nutcracker is the first live performance they've ever seen. Over 150,000 people have seen the show since Weaver created it in 1985. Nutcracker board president Holly Riley says she's particularly proud that many of these kids attend Title I funded schools. With the resources of The Weaver Center, Sheridan envisions more professional workshops, or even a second yearly production. The downtown location of the studio on Orange Street, just around the corner from where the production takes place at The Grand Opera House, means the sky is the limit. All of this means more dance available for more kids. But what about high-quality dance throughout a lifetime? Faith Madison Holton of The Madison Studio was a "studio kid," the daughter of founder Jane Madison, and le the region to pursue a professional dance career. As she's returned, she's puzzled over how to keep dancers like her in the area: "A er high school, many of our city's dancers feel that their dance career is over," Holton noted. Holton envisions that a professional dance company based in Macon could grow the field. "I think Macon having a company could inspire families and dancers alike to see dance as the professional arts avenue that it is, rather than only a hobby." Holton thinks current teachers and performance professionals, who don't o en have high-level performing opportunities, could benefit. Shattering stereotypes for greater wellness Dance, particularly at the pre-professional and professional levels, has had a cultural reputation for intense study that has had negative mental health effects on students, resulting in heightened issues like anxiety and disordered eating, according to Minding the Gap, an organization dedicated to improving dance culture. In a survey for Dance Magazine written by dance wellness advocate Kathleen McGuire Gaines and psychologist Brian T. Goonan, it was discovered only 10% of dancers would definitely feel comfortable talking to a teacher if they were having a mental health issue, while 80% didn't feel that the dance community does enough to address mental health. Luckily, Central Georgia studios are united in combating this mindset. Lowden thinks it's important for her students to feel like Hayiya "All my students were African American, and all but one wore natural hair. Show off you Afros, Afro-puffs, Afro-hawks, twists, braids. They were able to stand full in who they are — and win." ABOVE Kendrick Academy students celebrate competition wins. Photo courtesy of Karan Kendrick.

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