A is for Arts

Quality Life Center has been putting on performing arts productions for many years. Whether it was singing, dancing or drama, it involved a lot of children and a lot of heart. On a limited budget, staff learned to make do with little. There’s a reason the costumes were usually t-shirts.

In 2015, the Q's proposal scored well enough to get approved for a grant from the Florida Division of Cultural Arts. With this funding, the center helped pay for some expenses, including marketing, costumes, and dance instruction. In addition to Q staff, professional dancers came in to teach workshops throughout the year. The show that year was epic: Lion “Qing.”

The Q has applied for, and been fortunate to have received funding each year since then for its Arts, Character & Education Program. That's 3 action-packed years! Until now. Funding dropped from $35 million in 2015 to $2.6 million for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The state legislature allotted no funding for the category that funded the Q’s dance program. That is $0.

Increased production values and playing to thunderous applause in a packed house are nice. But that’s not the point. It's about the children. Children like Gennifer.

Gennifer was failing in school, having particular difficulties with math. She was in remedial classes in school. She would become so frustrated during tutoring, she would break down and cry.

Gennifer was enrolled in Quality Life Center's Arts, Character & Education Program. You might think the “education” part of the program was the most important to a student like her who was struggling in school. But the arts part is vital as well.

Research consistently shows that arts education has a positive impact on student success. The arts bolster the development of deeper learning skills. So a student getting dance instruction, for example, is not only more likely to improve test scores, but also improve critical skills, such as creativity, teamwork and perseverance. It's like the arts are superheroes!

These are the skills employers are looking for, and that support a strong economy. A successful community needs innovative thinkers. New jobs will be developed by people with creativity and imagination. Maybe the next big industry. If you want to produce problem-solvers, innovators and collaborative workers, support the arts!

Gennifer participated in dance classes and workshops at the Q over the last few years. In addition to academic gains, her confidence and dance skills have flourished. After a recommendation led to an audition for Cypress Lake Middle School’s arts program, Gennifer stepped up and won a spot in their dance program. Today, she is an Honor student, earning all A’s this semester. She danced with the Moscow Ballet at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, and continues to excel and stand out in the Q's dance program.

“She was a shy, timid, insecure girl who cried when she was corrected,” said Keesha, the Performing Arts Director and COO at Quality Life Center. “Now Gennifer carries herself with confidence and is always at the front of performances. She is not afraid to ask questions or to share her opinion with others.”

As Rafiki said in the Lion King: The past can hurt. The way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. You don’t have to tell Gennifer.