The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Move Your Way website, https://health.gov/moveyourway, provides insight about children needing 60 minutes of daily activity to help them to grow up strong and healthy.
Achieving better sleep, a better mood and better grades are among listed benefits gained from children being active.
“Kids who get physical activity do better on tests. It helps them focus and remember more of what they learn,” per information provided on the website.
Dance is a perfect way to make moving fun for youth and adults. Tahirah Bowrey, a serial entrepreneur who was born and raised in Baltimore, knows the value of creative movement.
While reflecting on her own youth, the serial entrepreneur recalls dancing at Hazelwood Recreation Center in Baltimore at the age of five. She later auditioned and danced at Baltimore School for the Arts T.W.I.G.S program.
Bowrey, who has worked for herself full time for over 10 years, integrates her gifts and passions into businesses. T2 Boutique; T2 Investments; Private Party Igloo; and Appropriately Inappropriate, a podcast that she plans to relaunch; and Creative Impulse Dance Company are Bowrey’s brands. Her sister, Tamu Bowrey, is her business partner in some of the businesses.
“All of my business education derives from passion and experience,” Bowrey said. “I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bowie State University and I taught reading and dance in the public school system.”
Creative Impulse Dance Company’s children’s classes include ballet, hip hop, jazz, contemporary and musical theater for girls and boys. Private lessons, audition, performance and competition preparation services are also offered. Bowrey teaches many styles of dance to children and adult classes, although she does not offer training all on her own.
“My board member, LaTrice Johnson, is my choreographer partner. We also hire other local instructors to teach various dance styles,” Bowrey said.
Bowrey stated that Creative Impulse Dance Company’s classes and training are very affordable and comparable to other studios. She formed Creative Impulse Dance Company in 2004 while she was attending Bowie State University. In 2008, Bowrey registered it as a business and opened her own dance studio with the help of a small business loan. Adult fitness and dance classes are offered quarterly.
The Baltimorean shifted her for profit business dance business to a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) in 2021.
“Our passion for dance has inspired us to reformat our business plan in order to provide free, quality training on a competitive and professional level to underserved minority children. I found that talented dancers weren’t awarded certain opportunities due to the inability to pay the expensive fees that come along with competitive dance,” Bowrey said.
Bowrey mentioned one of the dance company’s goals.
“With the proper funding, our goal is to offer all of our training for free to students and have all competition and travel expenses covered for qualified dancers,” Bowrey said, noting that financial support is needed.
Engaging in hobbies helps youth to stay out of trouble, relax and boost their confidence. It is also important to observe how long-term stress can hurt youth.
“Being a victim or witness to violence or crime” and experiencing “serious illness or death of a close family member or friend” are just two potential causes of specific events that can triggered symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” the CDC reported.
Although stress can impact children living any place, utilizing community resources such as dance classes or other extracurricular outlets can better help urban youth to invest in mental and physical resilience.
Dean Dixon, 10, a Baltimorean who has enjoyed learning the different genres of dance is connected with Creative Impulse Dance Company. Meeting new people, collecting trophies as a dancer and learning new dance moves are three memorable pluses Dean mentioned. Hip hop, contemporary and jazz dance classes are dance favorites. Taking dance classes has also been beneficial in other ways.
“I have learned to be more confident, to pursue my dreams and keep going when it gets tough,” Dean said.
Creative Impulse Dance Company will provide a street performance on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Charles & 20th Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, during Artscape.
If you are interested in being considered for Creative Impulse Dance Company’s competition team, an audition is required. Dancers must be between six to seventeen years old. Upcoming auditions will be held Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Cahill Recreation Center, located at 4001 Clifton Avenue in Baltimore.
Visit https://linktr.ee/creativeimpulse to obtain more information about Creative Impulse Dance Company.
