This past month, Santa Monica-based non-profit Free 2 Be Me Dance, which hosts dance classes for people with disabilities, launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep its doors open. Seeking funding for dance studio rentals and staff development, the initial goal of $10,000 to stay afloat this summer was reached in six days.
The organizers, including founder Colleen Perry, then raised the goal to $25,000 to remain open into the fall semester, which the community also answered the call on. The GoFundMe stands at $33,766 collected as of Wednesday, something Perry called "unbelievable" support.
"We’re over the moon thrilled, but we can’t stop," Perry said. "My job is not done at this point, because our future, our legacy isn’t guaranteed, so we have to keep pushing to keep getting more funds."
Perry started Free 2 Be Me in 2009 as a way for those with Down Syndrome to express themselves creatively, taking inspiration from a similar program started within the Boston Ballet. A former ballet dancer in her own right, Perry coordinated getting students involved through the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, starting up classes with donated studio space at Westside School of Ballet.
"People with Down Syndrome have all sorts of doctor’s appointments, physical therapy appointments, occupational therapy appointments, but there was nothing really in the creative field of art for them," Perry said. "As an ex-ballet dancer myself, [I] just felt really passionate about bringing the joy of dance to this population, because I really believe that dance is for everybody."
Initially offering ballet classes due to her expertise, Perry expanded Free 2 Be Me to have sessions in hip-hop dancing, Latin ballroom and improv. About a decade into the program, Perry and her instructors gained specialized training to accommodate people on the autism spectrum, furthering its mission of inclusion.
"We have fully integrated classes, so we don’t separate anybody, and now we’re fully inclusive," Perry said. "We started having some of the sisters, some of the brothers of the dancers also [wanting] to participate in class, and I didn’t want to turn them away. I’m a real proponent of a more inclusive world."
Funding the inclusive space has been an ongoing challenge, however, as registrations are "bursting at the seams" requiring expanded studio space and support staff.
Ideally needing three studio spaces for two hours each, something increasingly difficult to find on Sunday mornings, the GoFundMe campaign went towards renting studio space as well as a scholarship fund for families wanting to participate. Perry said the public donations are especially important after the COVID-19 pandemic siphoned many of the studios willing to offer free spaces.
"We were just at a really critical point in [our] history where I think a lot of different programs that used to donate space, other things that we used to be able to get for free, everybody struggled … because of [the pandemic]," Perry added. "So it’s really hard to get more donations and also donated space and [things] that we need."
More than $30,000 later, Free 2 Be Me will be able to stay afloat for the fall, and celebrated the campaign during a June 1 recital at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. The troupe was able to perform during the 8 Count Dance Academy’s showcase, part of a years-long partnership between the two groups.
Dancers memorized choreography all spring long for ballet and hip-hop routines where Perry said they "dance their hearts out."
"Once they perform, usually myself, my teachers and all of [the] parents are all in tears … we’re so overcome with emotion at the hard work, and the dedication, and just the joy on their faces … I truly believe that it’s not because they have [disabilities] it’s because they translate the joy of dance into their movement," Perry added.
The GoFundMe campaign for Free 2 Be Me Dance will remain active for a short time, with donations to be given at. For more information on the organization, visit free2bemedance.org
