What Dance Can Do – Bring Dance to Children

Dance changes lives. We have seen it happen!

Interview with Aurélia Sellier, Founder and President of „The What Dance Can Do Project“.

Tell me about „The What Dance Can Do Project“.

We fund dance programs and events for children and young adults made vulnerable by illness, poverty or exile. We also aim to celebrate the power of dance by sharing the stories of dancers, and encourage the work of people who use their art to make the world a better place.

I founded this international Switzerland-based non-profit organization in 2018. It’s run by a team of volunteers, based in Zurich, Paris, Brussels and Wellington. Our first destination was the township of Gugulethu near Cape Town, where we collected stories of the teacher, dancer and social entrepreneur Theo NDindwa and his students and made photographs. Photography is an important medium for us, and we had our work, text by me and images by the photographer Selina Meier exhibited in Copenhagen thanks to The Royal Danish Ballet.

Our first goal is to organize dance classes and performances for kids who would not have access to such opportunities otherwise. We have a team of some of the best dancers in the world teaching children and young adults who are vulnerable to terrible things which can happen in life, such as illness, exile, poverty or disability.

Secondly, we advocate for dance as a spark for change and share the stories of dancers, how their lives were impacted by dance and what they hope their art brings to their audience.

What can dance do? Tell me about the benefits of dancing.

We believe dance changes lives  – why does it? Dance is considered as nice to have, but it is more – dance is an investment rather than a cost. An investment in the future of children. Why? Taking dance classes builds up skills and characteristics that one can transfer to any area of one’s life: work of the mind and of the body i.e. gaining muscle, coordination, body awareness, memorization. You learn team workand collaboration, and have to be fully present.

Dancing improves brain function and boosts memory. Several studies have shown that dancing reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer. The discipline and energy you gain in a dance class can be used at school and in a future profession. It’s a fact that young dancers perform better at school.

Moreover, dance is an inclusive activity – no difference, any skin color, any language, any part of society – it’s for everyone.

What projects are going on?

Currently most of our initiatives are on hold because of the international context. 

• We have organized dance workshops in the impoverished neighborhood of Kibera in Kenya, together with the local organization Anno’s Africa.  
• We are creating a dance piece with young migrants in exile in Paris. 
• We partner with the Necker Hospital in Paris and Kinderspital in Zürich where dancers perform for young patients and their parents.
• We are collaborating with Akram Khan Company for their „Animal Kingdom“ project and just had our first workshops taking place in an elementary school in Wellington, New Zealand. 
• Of course, we are very busy looking for institutional and private sponsors to give more kids the opportunity to join summer classes: right now we are looking for funds to help talented kids from a ballet school in a slum of Lagos, Nigeria, to come study in Europe. 
• In 2019, we organized our first gala in Zurich, where some of our ambassadors gathered on stage. 
• We are planning several collaborations, projects and events for 2021: in Morocco, UK and Belgium. 

Dance event at the Necker Hospital in Paris

We’VE got the best dancers teaching kids – They deserve the best!

More information on their website

https://thewhatdancecandoproject.com/

Learn more about our action and support us! https://www.ulule.com/wdcd-project/

Fotos of the Gala in Zürich at Hotel Widder in December 2019
https://carolinekrajcirfotografie.pixieset.com/wdcdgalanight2019/

Photo on Top © James Bort

CV of Aurélia Sellier

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

French from origin, Aurélia lives in Zurich where she has worked in various roles for large multinational companies, mostly in the field of leadership and organization development.

Initially from a Literature and Business academic background, a career break gave her the opportunity to make a dream come true: bring an artistic and philanthropic project to life. Passionate about dance, the topic came to her very naturally.

“The What Dance Can Do Project was born from the belief that dance can change lives. And that more people should know about it. We want to celebrate the power of dance by sharing the stories of dancers, and encourage the work of people who use their art to make the world a better place.”