As they dance, their faces reflect their desire to do well. Several make mistakes but quickly try to follow one of their peers to continue with the routine. At the end, the group leaves the room through two doors, not without first receiving applause and farewells from the instructors.
One of the young girls who had made a mistake during the routine stayed in the room, interested in attending a future class. That simple decision could be the factor that changed her life forever.
“Dance also gives them the opportunity to reconnect with their emotions. (…) Because it is a space where they can explore their personality,” said Ángela Florez, director of the FEC, who believes that art represents the possibility of a new way of living, away from violence and despair, like the success story of Jaime.
Jaime grew up in the narrow alleys of Santa Ana, destined to live with the stigma heard on the streets about the few opportunities available to the residents of this popular neighborhood.
However, thanks to discipline, effort, and talent, dance took him to study in Barcelona and later in Italy. Now, in Panama, he teaches other young people in the same room where he once discovered his passion.
For Jaime, dance was not only a professional opportunity but also a way to escape the temptations that often lead young people in his community to make poor decisions, like dropping out of school.
Photo courtesy FEC/Alegre Saporta, via The Human Journalism Network.
In 2023, 9,145 students dropped out of the educational system from a registered enrollment of 706,537 students. This figure reflects that 1.3% of students disconnected from their studies and left school.
But Jaime is not the only one. There is also the case of Valentina, a young migrant from South America who arrived as a child. Her family life was complicated due to limited subsistence resources and the bureaucratic and costly process of migration regularisation. But she found a way to relieve some of that burden through dance.
She discovered that through movement, she could express what she could not with words. Moreover, it was through dance that she found her passion in life and what she would like to pursue professionally. Today, Valentina is about to graduate as a physiotherapist, an achievement that seemed unattainable from her reality.
With each success story, FEC demonstrates that art, education, and proper support can change lives. What started as a small initiative has become a model of social intervention that has transformed hundreds of young people.
The unleashing of creativity and expression through art will continue to be that beacon of hope shining in each child’s heart at FEC and lighting the path for future generations.
This story was originally published in La Prensa (Panamá) and is republished within the Human Journalism Network program, supported by the ICFJ, International Center for Journalists.
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Publish date : 2024-09-21 03:00:00
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