Moving People Dance is geared up for its fall semester. Roger Montoya, synonymous with the group, has another great program in place.
Montoya has an offering to fit anyone’s needs or desires from hip hop to ballet to tango. As in the past the group is offering gymnastics and tumbling to younger children, a precursor to getting them nimble and moving toward dance.
The program has seen great success in the Valley. By success I mean it’s making a huge difference in many lives and families. Montoya can be credited with being a key catalyst in the test score improvements in Velarde Elementary. He’s proven arts and math are directly related and when one suffers, they both suffer.
His dance program is similar but so much more. Anecdotally I’ve heard from many parents and even some youth about how the program changed people, transformed them into someone completely different. Dancing has given participating youth confidence and abilities they didn’t know they had.
Quiet, shy people have become gregarious. Those who couldn’t focus are now task-oriented.
While dancing is not the answer to all our problems, it seems to be going a long way toward solving many of them for many families. Hundreds of families have participated over the last few years.
This fall’s schedule is available online at www.movingpeopledance.org. It’s a full schedule for all ages. There’s even some family programs where everyone can go together.
Parents, if you have a problem child and you’re looking for a way to engage them, hand them over to Montoya and his staff for an hour or two a week. You’ll see a difference.
He’s not a magician, just a caring and completely devoted instructor. Oh, and he’s got the patience of Job. I don’t know how he herds 18 seven-year-olds to perform the way they do. Perhaps he is a magician.
Registration starts Sept. 12. Scholarships are available. Call Roger Montoya at 927-0108.