When Matt asked me if I could teach dance at the summer art camp, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. It was truly an honor that he asked me and a humbling experience, to go back to the community where I was introduced to dance as a child. On my first day there I was welcomed by the biggest smiles, the staff and volunteers were amazing and it was great to see and know that a lot of the volunteers that came were from different parts of the country and was here to give back to East Baltimore. And Mrs. Katy Stevens, what an awesome women, wow I wonder if she even realize the seeds that were planted into the youth and the community because of her efforts to offer this art camp. The Lord really used her and everyone involved, it was truly a blessing to be around so many like-minded individuals.

 

Testimony time! Apologize in advance about the length, but I have a story to tell:

 

It was an overwhelmingly emotional experience for me on so many levels. That first day after art camp, I walked around the neighborhood passing out flyers about the art camp and realized  I was standing in front of the  actual house my mother was born in, I begin to cry. East Baltimore, Collington Square area was a part of a city run culture arts program that offered art education to the community, until the -program closed in 1993 due to cut- backs. That program was where I took my first dance class, and it saved my life. Growing up in Baltimore in the mid 80’s early 90’s, drugs and teen pregnancy was at an all-time high, and like many other families in Baltimore, my mother was faced with having to take care of the household by herself while my father was in and out of drug treatment programs. My mother needed something for me and my younger brother and sister to do after school and couldn’t afford to pay for any after school activities, so she enrolled us into the arts program. It was only a few dollars a week and it kept us busy and took us off the streets while she worked. There were times when my mother couldn’t even afford to pay the few dollars it took for me to attend the dance classes but the program never turned me away, and I was able to attend at no cost and I was even provided with a summer job where I was trained to dance and get paid for it through the program at the age of 14. I’m still amazed that Baltimore even offered something like that and I was actually a part of it, but that was where the seed was planted. I married and moved to Virginia but always came back to Baltimore to help my mother with her many projects for her church and community.

In 2007 the Lord lead me to begin teaching dance to the kids at the church my mother attended; then eventually to the kids in the area and in spring 2010, with my mother’s support, I decided to offer free dance classes to the whole Baltimore City community. We studied, researched and begin the eager task of reaching out to the Baltimore City community about the program but by fall 2010, my mother unexpectedly, passed away. At the hardest time ever of my life, God gave me strength to start the first session 2 weeks after my mother’s funeral. People often question why I still come from Prince William County, Virginia   every week to teach dance in Baltimore and even more; offer the art program for free. All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother Denise McPherson and everything I do is in “His” name. It’s not easy, but I won’t give up on East Baltimore because East Baltimore many years ago, didn’t give up on me  I realize this is much bigger than anything I could ever imagine and whatever path the Lord leads me to, I will  follow.