Become a “Dancer to Watch”
Jordan Demetrius Lloyd ’16 has made a name for himself in the world of dance, landing on Dance Magazine’s 2023 25 to Watch series.
Read the storyBecome a “Dancer to Watch”As part of the YMCA’s Livestrong program, wellness intern Anaheysha Baptiste-White combined her knowledge of dance and public health to create a series of movement classes designed to support individuals impacted by cancer to rebuild strength and improve physical health.
“It was a test run for what I hope to do in the future — combine public health and dance.”
Anaheysha Baptiste-White
“What I loved most was seeing the participants truly enjoy it,” Baptiste-White said. “When I first introduced the classes, some shared that their doctors had recommended exercises at home after treatment, but these exercises felt like chores. I had to find a way to make the movements not just intentional, but fun for them.
Livestrong is a 12-week program that empowers cancer survivors to take an active role in their well-being by providing guidance on nutrition, access to personal trainers, and emotional support.
Although the program’s participants had a full schedule, YMCA management took a leap of faith by allowing Baptiste-White the freedom to develop and implement her own lesson plans.
“I was really excited because this was my guinea pig moment,” Baptiste-White said. “It was a test run for what I hope to do in the future — combine public health and dance to create community programs that are accessible and sustainable.”
Baptiste-White structured her courses around a method called BrainDance, which she learned in her Children’s Dance (DNS 483) class taught by adjunct lecturer Deborah A. Lipa-Ciotta.
Baptiste-White guided the class through movement flows based on developmental patterns that humans naturally progress through during their first year of life.
“Research shows that these movement patterns can benefit adults, especially this population, because they are just getting back to a sense of normalcy in life and may be still struggling with a few things,” Baptiste-White said. “This was the perfect place to incorporate these movements.”
When she decided to incorporate BrainDance into the YMCA program she was developing, Baptiste-White spoke with Lipa-Ciotta after a class to discuss the opportunity. Lipa-Ciotta went out of her way to review the lesson plans and helped reaffirm she was on the right track.
“What I loved most was seeing the participants truly enjoy it.”
Anaheysha Baptiste-White
Throughout the classes, Baptiste-White guided participants through exercises that gradually increased in difficulty, focusing on flexibility, balance, strength, and other key areas.
Week-by-week, Baptiste-White tracked the participants’ progress and even conducted a survey at the end of each class to get a sense of how they were enjoying the class.
“I watched their confidence grow and their physicality improve,” Baptiste-White said. “I was so proud of them.”
At the conclusion of the program, Baptiste-White created a care packet for each participant to take home. It serves as a reminder of the movement flows they practiced in class, the areas those exercises helped strengthen, and a playlist curated by the participants.
“Public health and dance are not a dual degree that a lot of people see,” Baptiste-White said. “But dance can be a way to support your overall well-being.”
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