After months of fundraising, last week Riverkids began offering break dancing classes to interested students on Friday afternoons. Riverkids is working in partnership with Tiny Toones; a grassroots group of Khmer break dancers who offer lessons, shelter and mentoring to kids in the slums of Phnom Penh.
Learning to break dance builds physical strength and self-esteem. It encourages kids to feel confidant and to take pride in their bodies. This is particularly important for the students at Riverkids, many of whom have experienced physical or sexual abuse. Break dancing also appeals to teenagers, and gives them a healthy alternative to using drugs or gambling.
There was some resistance to break dancing program in the community. Many older people think that children should be taught Khmer traditional dancing, rather than learning modern Western styles. Break dancing also encourages girls to move in a tough, aggressive manner that is not in keeping with traditional Khmer attitudes about femininity. The staff at Riverkids did take these objections into account, but it was decided that the potential benefits of the program were significant enough to offer break dancing anyway. Although Riverkids always makes an effort to work in concert with the values of the community, we sometimes have to take risks to reach out to vulnerable children whose needs are not being met being met by more conventional approaches.
The break dancing classes are open to any child participating in a Riverkids program. Students only attend if they’re interested. Last Friday, about twenty kids took part in the class, ranging in age from teenagers to Kindergarten students. After watching a demonstration from the teachers, the kids learned some basic dance moves and started working on their flexibility by doing stretches and back bends. The class looked like so much fun that some staff members even tried it out. The kids are looking forward to continuing their training next week.
Learning to break dance builds physical strength and self-esteem. It encourages kids to feel confidant and to take pride in their bodies. This is particularly important for the students at Riverkids, many of whom have experienced physical or sexual abuse. Break dancing also appeals to teenagers, and gives them a healthy alternative to using drugs or gambling.
There was some resistance to break dancing program in the community. Many older people think that children should be taught Khmer traditional dancing, rather than learning modern Western styles. Break dancing also encourages girls to move in a tough, aggressive manner that is not in keeping with traditional Khmer attitudes about femininity. The staff at Riverkids did take these objections into account, but it was decided that the potential benefits of the program were significant enough to offer break dancing anyway. Although Riverkids always makes an effort to work in concert with the values of the community, we sometimes have to take risks to reach out to vulnerable children whose needs are not being met being met by more conventional approaches.
The break dancing classes are open to any child participating in a Riverkids program. Students only attend if they’re interested. Last Friday, about twenty kids took part in the class, ranging in age from teenagers to Kindergarten students. After watching a demonstration from the teachers, the kids learned some basic dance moves and started working on their flexibility by doing stretches and back bends. The class looked like so much fun that some staff members even tried it out. The kids are looking forward to continuing their training next week.
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