Monday: 8:30-11:00 am
Tuesday: 8:30-11:00 am
Wednesday 8:30-11:00 am
Thursday: 8:30-11:00 am
Friday: 8:30-11:00 am
Hi Dancers!
All practices will be held at the Montecito School of Ballet on the corner of Gutierez and Salsipuedes in SB. Everyone is welcome to attend any of the above practices. If you have any questions regarding the schedule, or would like to set up a private lesson, please contact Amelia at 805-618-0398, or by e-mail at afzimmerman7@mac.com
Click on the link above to see Matt, the creator of the program, ballroom dancing with his partner Erica.
At the beginning, Kimberly Tom had no background in theatre or performance and certainly didn’t consider herself a dancer. Then she saw an advertisement for free dance lessons in exchange for performing at events and having a professional film crew take videos of her lessons. Her instructor would be Matt Hackney, a local Santa Barbara dance teacher who enjoys sharing his expertise and passion for ballroom dancing. Under Matt’s professional tutelage, Kim now is teaching students of her own and participating in Matt’s after-school dancing project to help disadvantaged kids make positive choices in their activities. “[Dancing] is something I’ve always wanted to do,” says Kim. “Matt has been incredibly encouraging.”
Matt himself is not only excited about the project, but at the prospect of watching his former students become fully-fledged teachers in their own right. He is convinced that anyone can learn to dance, regardless of background. “Having taught hundreds of dancers, I’ve found there is only one path to success,” says Matt. “That path is not found in innate talent, the perfect physique, or inherited from your parents. It is found in sheer determination and consistent training. Time and time again, those who put in the time and energy outperform all the others - the talented, the gifted, the innate.”
MovFitness is sponsoring a new program that reaches out to kids in the community; through ballroom dancing! The purpose of the project is to create a place for kids where they are engaged in a positive and fun activity. This after-school program would also serve as a healthier alternative to the dangerous temptations of the streets such as drugs and violence. The target demographic is for children who are from minority and low-income families. MovFitness is currently searching for donors who are interested in making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. Donations would go toward paying for qualified dance instructors to facilitate the program.