J.D. Scott

Moving in the Spirit "Believe in Me": Moving in the Spirit "Believe in Me"

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  • Believe In Me Overview
  • “ I’ve been dancing on and off for years at Moving in the Spirit, and also at Alvin Ailey Camp and Atlanta Ballet. Dance is one of the only things I can keep at. It taught me commitment. Even if I don’t like something we’re doing in class one day, I keep with it because there are only so many opportunities. I take what I can and enjoy myself. Dancing has definitely made me a stronger person. When I was younger, I couldn’t take criticism, but there are so many corrections in dance that I learned to be more resilient. I especially like watching other dancers perform, because it inspires me to get better and better. I want there to be more opportunities for people without resources to dance. I don’t have many resources, but I’ve found a way, and I want other people to know there’s hope for them as well. I want to be a dancer when I grow up. It’s the thing I feel most passionate about, and I feel really blessed to have found it at such a young age.” – Autumn Rivers
  • “The growth I’ve seen in Autumn is her ability to shed limitations and choose to be a leader in the midst of adversity. In the past, she had a tendency to cast her eyes down when she performed. Now when I see her move, both onstage and off, she has a heightened confidence and sense of who she is in the world. Instead of having her shades down, she looks up and lets the light in.” – Dana Lupton
  • “When I first started school, I was younger than everyone else and too shy to take dance class. Then one day I said, “You know what, I’m going to go in there and I’m going to do this.” I’ve been dancing ever since, because it’s helped me find who I am. I’ve learned that I am strong, stronger than I thought, and that I am different from what I thought I was, or what I thought I had to be. There are a lot of metaphors in dance for life, because it’s a partnership. If you’re sharing weight or doing a lift and one person pulls back too far, you’re both going to get hurt. I love dance so much, but I also want to become a firefighter one day. So whether it’s running through flames to rescue someone, or changing one person’s way of thinking, I want to make a difference for the better. My fellow dancers and I put so much work into our pieces that I want audiences to have the same sense of accomplishment we have when we finish performing, the sense of family and the sense of being together as artists.” – Iza Gustin
  • “Of all my students, I have seen the most physical transformation in Iza. When I first met her, she had a curved spine, and was always injured. Upon investigating, I learned that Iza had a large role in taking care of her family. One of her moms is a nurse, and I was able to ascertain that Iza received attention, and felt the most cared for, when she had an injury. Once Iza realized her injuries were preventing her from being cast in pieces, a light bulb went off in her head. She started getting stronger, her spine straightened, her shoulders went back. She turned from being a victim to a victor. Iza is so hungry for art, and takes risks as an artist. She is absolutely delightful . Her whole spirit of being in the world is to serve as an agent for change. She stands for those who cannot, and she always has. Her voice is as strong as her body is now, and it encourages others to be strong.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I have been dancing for 13 years. Initially, my mom told me it would help my coordination because my dream was to play professional baseball. Now I really enjoy dance. It gives me the freedom to move how I want. Through dance, I discovered that I have creative and artistic abilities. Dance allows me to express my life experiences, to process my challenges and aspirations. Last year, I was able to choreograph my own solo, to create something from scratch and perform something that I could call my own. There are many things I want to convey when I dance: passion and joy of movement, hope, celebration, community, self determination, promise and empowerment. “ –Regan Lowring
  • “Regan is another one of my students who, on the surface, looks like a normal kid with no cares in the world. Underneath, he is in one of the most pressurized environments I’ve seen. He almost lost his father a few years ago. Dealing with that and stepping up to support his mother was really tremendous on him. The beautiful part about Regan is that he is absolutely resilient. He has a spirit of willingness to always do the right thing, and is always giving to others. Dancing at Moving in the Spirit has allowed Regan to personally reflect, focus on his needs, and let his classmates provide a circle of support. Through movement, Regan is able to rise above all that tension and stress with pinpoint accuracy. He’s able to transcend where he is, as he looks toward where he wants to be.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I’ve been dancing with Moving in the Spirit for six years. What attracts me most to dance is the opportunity it gives me to express myself through my movement and my art. Through dance, I’ve learned that I’m very dedicated and very determined about making things right. When I’m dancing, I can channel my emotions or things I’ve dealt with into the work, to make it strong for the audience and powerful for me. I want people to know that even though my peers and I are young, we’re very talented, very educated and wise. We want to share a message. As an artist, I want to tell a story through my craft. I want the audience to walk away knowing that life is not easy, but as long as you put your mind and your heart into whatever you’re doing, you’re able to accomplish anything.” – Danielle Aldred
  • “I have seen a tremendous transformation in Danielle over the years. She comes from a pretty hostile physical environment. Her neighbors are disengaged, her house gets broken into frequently and a tree once fell on her home. Her resiliency and drive are always what lift her out of the sea of turbulence around her. There is a maturity, a brightness that beams from her, a confidence that she contributes to make the world a better place. Danielle has blossomed as a choreographer, and creates work that is as complex as her life, with layers and texture. She loves to invent and collect movements. She is definitely a creator, and has a voice that is much needed in this world.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I’ve been dancing with Moving in the Spirit for seven years. I’ve kept coming back because dance is my outlet. It’s my voice. Dance helped me say how I feel through movement, gave me another way to reach people and communicate. There’s a piece we did called “Speak,” about women’s self-empowerment. If it were not for that piece, I wouldn’t be able to talk to my parents as effectively as I do now. It gave me that will, that inner strength to say how I feel not only with respect, but with seriousness and assertiveness. When I dance, I don’t want to just be someone an audience sees onstage. I want them to connect with me, to really feel what I’m saying through my movement. Most of the pieces at Moving in the Spirit are about making change and being better leaders for tomorrow. I want audiences to know they really can change the world.” – Tenesia Benson
  • “Tenesia lives in a high crime area, and has openly said how much she is challenged by her neighborhood. When she first came to Moving in the Spirit, she proclaimed she was a fierce recluse, but I have seen her blossom into a fierce leader. There has always been a sadness in Tenesia’s heart, because her brother had a long, mysterious illness that weighed on her family. I think she was forgotten in the shadows. All she wanted was for her brother to get better, so it was hard for her to want anything for herself. Through dancing at Moving in the Spirit, she has been able to shine. She is brilliantly stunning when she performs. She is a voice of reason, considers choices and consequences in real time, and is one of the most humble persons I know. When I consider the next generation, I cannot think of a finer young woman to lead our world.”
  • “I’ve been dancing with Moving in the Spirit for six years. When my mom first told me I was going to a summer dance camp, I hesitated. Then I got to Moving in the Spirit and everyone was so welcoming. I was hooked. We feel like a family, we feel safe. I know that I don’t have to act out of my character, that I can be accepted for who I am. When I was younger, I had anger problems, but dancing has taught me to channel my anger, to use it to make my dancing more powerful. Sometimes people look down on being a male dancer because they think it’s feminine. But if I could, I would bring dance to all the community where I live. I would take it to my friends and give them something to do instead of standing around, hanging out on the street. When I dance with my peers at Moving in the Spirit, I want audiences to say, “Wow, kids from Atlanta, Georgia can do that?!” - Darion Thomspon
  • “Darion has really surprised me, and all of his teachers, as a dancer. He’s like a supernova. Artistically, I think he surprised himself. This year, with the help of amazing technical instructors, he has soared from walking to flying. Because he was so new, the girls in the company were wary of him at first. Now they trust him with their lives. He is there for them when they are flying through the air, and he in turn has had to trust them to lift him up. Dance has also helped Darion process situations in his community. He is so buoyant, so full of hope and determination, that he actually defies gravity. The laws of physics do not apply to Darion.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I’ve been dancing pretty much my whole life. My mother was a dancer, and she passed it down to me. I can express emotions through dance that I can’t express any other way. I’ll put on a piece of music and start dancing, and it will just generate more emotion. Sometimes I’ll even start crying. Dance helps me get through many situations in my life, every day, all the time. Through dancing, I’ve learned that I’m very creative and have many talents. When I dance, I want to express to people that they can do anything, as long as they put their heart into it. I want audiences to walk away from seeing me dance saying “Wow!” and loving the arts as much as I do.” - Kai Lewis
  • “Kai is the youngest member of our advanced performance company. Her passion runs so deep for such a young person. She has an old soul. While her technical ability continues to grow, her passion and drive are that of a well-seasoned dancer. She is incredibly intense and whimsical all at the same time. Kai always puts in one hundred percent, so that she is ready whenever we need her to step up. She has tremendous pressure at home with her parents, and that tension is ever present. Because she loves so deeply, her biggest challenge has been to work through that. Her community at Moving in the Spirit gives her the tools she needs to sail through those turbulent waters.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I’ve been dancing and working with Moving in the Sprit for over twenty years. I dance because it is a universal language that allows people to discover each other, discuss issues and work through challenges. When I was younger, dancing taught me that I had more discipline than I thought, and that anything is possible. Dancing gave me an opportunity to explore struggles I was facing in my life through movement. Now when I dance, I want audiences to see that having hope and passion is key to succeeding in life. I started a program for boys at Moving in the Spirit called “Men in Motion,” because I want to give the younger generation the same opportunities I had. To be a man, you need to have another man to look up to. Dancing in a program for boys gives young men the guidance and male mentors they need, and really changes their lives.” – Chris McCord
  • “When Chris first came to Moving in the Spirit, he was wound really tight. His mother was disabled ever since he was born, so he always had to be responsible, be the man of the house. Dancing at Moving in the Spirit allowed him to let his guard down and trust and rely on other people. When he first started, he was an incredible athlete but had no dance experience. By his senior year, he was cast in every piece. He lives down the street from me now in South Atlanta, and it has been fun to have him as a neighbor. I look in our community, and I see his house as the beacon for all the kids to come to, because Chris has grown to be an amazing role model. He’s the conduit that gives them safe passage to a better world.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I became involved with Moving in the Spirit in 2004 during the fall of my sophomore year. I quickly realized this place was about so much more than dancing. High school is a tricky time for many teenagers, and Moving in the Spirit helped me find myself in the most positive light. I learned how to express myself as a young lady, to be proactive and to say how I’m feeling while still being mindful of the feelings of others. I had the opportunity to perform at the White House and to serve on the Board of Directors as a student representative. These experiences and many others prepared me to be flexible, handle unexpected situations and articulate my thoughts to others who may not share common ground. As a young artist, I performed works with meaningful messages that encouraged audiences to treat others with dignity and respect. Moving in the Spirit made me aware of the many injustices in the world, and the values I learned here inspired me to become a teacher with Teach for America. I want to give back to kids in my community the way Moving in the Spirit gave to me. Teaching has opened my eyes to the vast inequalities in our educational system, and when I complete my term with Teach for America, I’m heading to law school to study educational policy and special education advocacy. I’m very grateful for my experience at Moving in the Spirit because it definitely changed my trajectory. Moving in the Spirit molded me into the woman I am today, and I don’t know who I would be without them.” – Andrea Lewis“I knew immediately when I met Andrea that there was something different about her. She is stunning on the outside and the inside with abundant grace. You will never hear a negative comment from her. She’s incredibly passionate and articulate, with a wonderful ease as she performs and speaks. She’s also very gracious and very patient with people. I remember the year we performed at the White House, we arrived and saw that the space we had to dance in was unmanageably small. Andrea never missed a beat, never panicked, and within five minutes she had the team dancing in the aisles and using every amount of space possible to make the performance work. Later that year, she graduated third in her class from high school and earned the Martin Luther King Scholarship to Emory University. Today, education is critical to her core. She fights so that others can have the same opportunities she was afforded. She’s a powerful public servant with a bright future.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I began dancing with Moving in the Spirit when I was six years old and continued until I graduated from high school. What I remember most is how our teachers prepared our bodies for dancing and our minds for adulthood and handling different situations. One year we toured to Smackover, Arkansas, and we were asked to move our performance because a little girl was having her birthday near our performance site. She didn’t want a mixed-race group near her party. Most of us were in shock because the year was 2000, but we rallied and a team of supporters found somewhere else for us to dance. Afterward, we talked about how blessed we were to live in a community where we don’t have to deal with situations like this. We realized that even if there is anger or hatred around us, we can still push through. One person can’t stop the show. I toured many other cities with Moving in the Spirit, literally from coast to coast, and had wonderful experiences. Dana, our teacher, would zone in on our strengths and have each group member lead in different ways. It made us feel empowered to each have a voice. I graduated from high school in 2003, and went to Albany State University on a full ride as a presidential scholar. Next year, I’ll receive my PhD in pharmacology and toxicology and focus on cancer research and health disparities in different communities. All my experiences at Moving in the Spirit shaped who I am today. To me, Moving in the Spirit is more than teachers and students. Moving in the Spirit became my family.” –Mashunte Holmes“I have known Mashunte ever since she was six years old. She reminds me of Lady Justice, the blindfolded woman with the scales, because she always does the right thing no matter how hard the journey. As a dancer at Moving in the Spirit, she would step in as the voice of reason if someone in the group started down the wrong path, reminding them of the consequences not only to themselves but to the group. Mashunte always knew who she was, even at a young age. Looking at her, you would think ‘Here’s the girl next door,’ but inside her family there was a lot of pain and grief. At home she was the foundation for her family, so when she came to Moving in the Spirit she would often express through dance what she could not articulate elsewhere. She chose a scientific field that is dominated by strong male personalities and is committed to finding cures for our planet. She came back this past summer to visit and speak to our students, and she eased right in like she had never left. She truly embodies the values at Moving in the Spirit, and everything we hope for and wish for our kids.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I joined Moving in the Spirit the year it was founded and danced with their class at the Grant Park Girls Club. In middle school, I became one of the first members of their Apprentice Corporation. I have profound memories of creating budgets and tour plans and performing with the group up and down the entire east coast. I learned that I could be a leader to people, even to someone who was older than me. Moving in the Spirit is really unique because it’s a truly diverse organization, with people from different races, financial backgrounds and outlooks. To be exposed to that at such a young age, where I had to get out of my comfort zone and really interact with other people to make things work, was an invaluable experience. It definitely impacts me today in my professional life. Sometimes I wonder if Dana, the founder of Moving in the Spirit, realizes how far the program really reaches, from the students she taught to others that we in turn reached. In my teens, I taught for one of Moving in the Spirit’s summer programs that took place in one of the hardest areas of Atlanta. Years later, I was leaving a movie theater when a girl I didn’t recognize ran up to me and said, “Hi Miss Atiya, I want to let you know that I’m going to college this year.” She explained that she was in the summer program I had taught, and she remembered everything I told her about values, accountability and working hard. I think Moving in the Spirit has grown because we honestly give back to the community. All the kids learn the importance of giving back and working together to achieve a goal. I’ve never been so proud of an organization, and I’m thrilled that it’s still here today.” – Atiya Jones“Although I’ve known Atiya since she was eight years old, I feel like I never remember her being a kid because she was always so mature beyond her years. She was one of our first Apprentice Corporation members, known for being funny, brilliant and a bit of a mischief-maker. At the same time, she was very savvy and intuitive, a quick assessor of situations and solutions. She became one of our first alumni to complete college, and I was so proud because she graduated from my alma mater, The University of Georgia. Today, Atiya is leader in her industry, a great strategist able to see choices and consequences. She exudes a warm confidence that instantly sets people at ease, which is a wonderful gift as a leader. Her strength lies in her ability to truly listen and see all sides of a story. She is diplomatic and genuine in a way that crosses boundaries and unites people.” – Dana Lupton
  • “I joined Moving in the Spirit in 1988, when I happened to pass by the dance studio at my high school and saw Dana, the co-founder of Moving in the Spirit, teaching a class. She invited me in to check things out, and I was hooked. Dana’s creativity was an inspiration to me, and I never missed a rehearsal. One of the major things dancing taught me was how to interact with others. I was very shy, but when we travelled throughout the community to perform, Dana pushed me to speak to our audiences and tell them what my thoughts and experiences were. I told them how dancing changed my life and kept me from hanging out with guys who were bad influences. It gave me a sense of purpose, because I wanted to prove that inner-city children have the same talent and abilities as other children. Over time, I saw that a lot of children my age and younger looked up to me, and it pushed me to show my leadership. I was not a quitter, and I wanted to portray that in whatever I did. In or out of class, I did my very best, I put forth one hundred percent, I showed up. That has stuck with me in everything I continue to do. I went to Morris Brown College after high school, then left to serve in the US Marine Corps for eight years. Today, I’m an engineer in real estate development and a volunteer at Columbia Middle School and High School. My whole objective is to give back, and I look forward to doing great things for Moving in the Spirit in whatever way I can.” – Ronnie Timmons“If a human being were to turn into sunshine, it would be Ronnie. You can’t be near Ronnie without feeling this intense warm glow. It’s like coming in from a snowy day and being right by a fire. Ronnie was one of our first male Apprentice Corporation members in the late 80’s, a hard working leader who saw every challenge as an opportunity to learn. He never missed a rehearsal, even if he was having a difficult time with his family. His laughter was super contagious, along with his loving, fun personality. Onstage, Ronnie transformed into a powerful magnet to younger children. They were drawn instantly to him. Today, Ronnie is a man of infinite possibilities. You know the old adage, ‘the glass is half-full?’ To Ronnie, the glass is always overflowing, which is a wonderful way to be in the world.” – Dana Lupton
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