A Wisconsin dance company is providing Milwaukee inner-city youth with life skills that go beyond the dance floor.
"I started dancing at age 8 and I never stopped. Dancing was something that I always found pleasure in, for me it was an escape. Especially for a kid growing up in Milwaukee. What I love most is that between all my practices, rehearsals, and competitions, it kept me out of a lot of trouble," Kalya Whitaker says.
It's why at the age of 20, Whitaker started her nonprofit, Locomotion Dance Company, a place that provides Milwaukee's inner-city youth with affordable dance classes, travel opportunities, and a strong foundation on what matters.
"Dance means everything to me. it helps me escape all the stressful things like school or family and when you get here you can release all that and I love it," says Deyhamanni Clayhiggs.
“Dance for girls is kind of like what football, baseball, and basketball is for guys. It is something everyone wants to try even if they don’t know if they will be good or not so to be able to come to space where there is no judgment,” says Whitaker
Former dance student, Kennedy Weston, made it a priority to come back and teach.
“I love motivation them I love teaching them I love having them have someone to look up to,” says Weston.
"To able to have girls come in and have no experience and just know. I want to dance. We're able to give them that platform is just amazing," says Whitaker.
Deyhamanni, is a sophomore at the Milwaukee School of the Arts and says she tends to fall behind in school.
"They help you pick yourself up in a way and they also offer tutoring prior to class," she says.
Locomotion Dance Company is much more than just a place to learn dance.
"It's my second home and I love it," says Clayhiggs.
Due to COVID-19, Locomotion Dance Company's original dance space closed and their student intake was cut in half.
They currently train 30 dancers ranging in age from 3 -18 years of age.