Plié For The People -- Bringing Ballet To Everyone!

8/5/2020

I am passionate about two things: 1. Ballet, and 2. Teaching.

I am now a fourth-year teacher in the South of Bronx, currently working at a K-8th charter school off of Simpson St. I’ve been professionally trained in classical ballet since I was thirteen. Although I wasn’t a student who came from wealth, I was able to study ballet without worrying about tuition. What drew me into ballet is my love for music, elegance and magic! Throughout the majority of my dance career, I was very much addicted to one goal, and that was- how to be a better dancer everyday.

I have dreamed about the idea of somehow combine my passions and make it into a purposeful project for quite some time now. Lo and behold, it is now a reality…more specifically; it has evolved into a dream job!

It all begins with a second grader in my dance class one day telling me in front her classmates “But Ms. Mimi, I want to take ballet, but my family couldn’t afford it”. I didn’t know it then, but her straightforwardness has inspired me to build a very successful online ballet platform, that is completely FREE for any child who wants to learn how to dance ballet.

Shortly after my student shared her concerns, I decided to take action. I was able to start an after-school ballet club, once a week, and working towards a ballet showcase for the families and the community at the end of the school year. With the permission of the school administration, we went ahead and ordered tutus for the selected students to wear for the showcase. We called ourselves, “The Junior Ballet Company”, and I choreographed a ballet titled “Beethoven Girls From The Bronx”, because my group of talented black and brown girls from the Bronx danced the piece to Beethoven. Things were going really well, until the pandemic of Covid-19 took over the world. I was still teaching and hosting my ballet club at the time and recall having to cancel some dance performances due to the lockdown. Many students were devastated about canceling the shows. They worked so hard to memorize the choreography and bonding with their friends in the ballet club. We did what many others did, and that was resorting to meeting and learning via Zoom.

After teaching remotely on Zoom for a while, I realized the “Record” feature while using it. I wondered if I could offer free virtual ballet classes on social media as a way to keep everyone connected with dancing. So I tried to record a few zoom lessons. With the goal of making ballet accessible during that difficult time, I realized the videos did help students stay inspired during remote learning and the lockdown. One recording after the next, I was completed hooked! So I kept making these videos, one ballet combination at a time! And as I went along, my goal became bigger, wider, and it ultimately made me want to democratize ballet and making my online classes free for anyone, not just children, to learn and enjoy. Hence, the title “PliéFor The People” was born!

Plié for the People is made at the convenience of the viewers because it is delivered through an asynchronous, prerecorded format, which allows anyone complete access to the content whenever, wherever. Plié for the People do not discriminate. It is aimed to reach all zip codes. And it is meant to be shared and enjoyed at no cost. My dream of serving the underrepresented community through dance is now live on YouTube!

I believe there is a ballet class for everyone, and you can join in anytime, anywhere! Plié For The People is gaining international appeal and people from Russia, Canada, India and Hong Kong have all been writing to me directly to discuss collaborations, areas of growth and other ingenious ideas. Virtual learning of dance is the future! And Plié For The People is paving the way for it! I was extremely fortunate to also give a talk at Hunter College’s dance program about PliéFor The People back in August of 2020, under the direction of Kathleen Isaac. This shows how a passion project can attract others to help you grow your idea as well!

Currently, Plié For The People features special guests and lectures on every episode. It is also utilized as a dance supplement for my Brooklyn Ballet adult students, to hone in their ballet fundamentals. I am proud of how Plié For The People contains social value, and it serves a greater purpose in my community, that is- making ballet accessible so everyone can benefit from the art of ballet!