Dance group from Hot Springs High School breaking barriers

Hot Springs, Arkansas – Many young people develop a sense of community through participating in extracurricular activities like sports teams or dance teams.

A unique dancing program at Hot Springs High School actively assists young kids in their development.

The director of the program used to traverse the same halls as her dancers.

Dance Director Amy Bramlett-Turner described the environment as one where everyone is welcome, regardless of whether they like to work backstage or take center stage.

With classes in ballet, modern jazz, tap hip hop, and even foreign dance forms, this Hot Springs High School dance class is more akin to a dance school.

About 230 kids are enrolled in the program, according to Bramlett-Turner. “They can try out for our student company, the Hot Springs Dance Troupe, through that program.”

According to Bramlett-Turner, it’s amazing that she’s returning to her former school.

Bramlett-Turner remarked, “My life is very full circle, and I’m forever grateful for that.” “I knew I wanted to get as far away from Hot Springs as possible when I graduated here in 2007.”

Though Bramlett-Turner achieved her goal of majoring in ballet and modern dance, and going on to work as a performer on cruise ships, she had no idea that all of this was setting her up for a big performance back home.

Bramlett-Turner remarked, “I never thought I would be here so soon, but here I am.” “I created the current dance program because when I first started, there were no shoes, costumes, or anything else. I’ve been here for eleven years, and this place is much bigger than I could have ever dreamed.

The little dancers are learning how to grow up with each plie and tendu—they are learning more than just eight counts.

To be more adaptable, what steps will you need to take? Or the program will continue without you if you make the wrong decisions, so that aspect of accountability is important for teenagers, according to Bramlett-Turner. “They’re learning how to express themselves artistically, how to feel something.”

Raymond Jordan Jr., a senior, chose to study choreography because dance allows for such expression, and he did so while also commanding attention on the football field.

Jordan Jr. ties up his tap shoes after he takes off his cleats.

I needed a different way to express my feelings because football emphasizes my aggressive side. He said, “I wanted to get in touch with every emotion I felt.

Whatever people may think, Jordan Jr. believes that cleats and a ballet barre go hand in hand. In fact, he’s encouraging other young players to give the discipline a try.

“You hear the negative opinions about it, like how it’s more for women and men shouldn’t be able to dance, but in the same way that I think women can play football, I know men can dance,” said Jordan Jr. “I’m just doing what I love to do, but it’s a pretty positive thing to encourage these other young men to join us in dancing.”

According to the senior football player who also plays dance, he cherishes the relationships that dance and the Hot Springs High School program have fostered.

The nicest aspect, according to Jordan Jr., is that everything is about love. “We have boys now, so I have a couple extra brothers, but I consider the rest of them my sisters,” he added.

Although Bramlett-Turner wants the students to remember every combination as a lesson for life, she understands that as dancers they are obliged to give it their all on the dance floor.

“Our goal is to provide students with a space where they feel accepted and free to express themselves creatively,” Bramlett Turner stated. “Hopefully, this program will help them grow into the best versions of themselves.”

The Hot Cocoa Nutty Nutcracker, a production of the dance program, will be presented for elementary and public audiences on December 12 and 13.