Giving an hour changed the career trajectory of two first-year teachers.
Brian Gerardo and Cynthia Chavez met in the summer of 2008 during a demanding, one-month training institute with Teach for America. Discovering their experiences in dance, they met in the evenings in the dorm mailroom for an hour and taught choreography they performed with their college Hip-Hop dance teams. These late-night mini-sessions simply began as a fun way to wind down after a long day, but their friendship and their passion for dance grew.
When Brian and Cynthia returned to Baltimore, they wanted to strengthen their relationships with their students. They both wanted to share their love of dance with their students. In November 2008, Brian invited his college dance crew, Virginia Tech’s Bamboom, to lead workshops and performances at the REACH Partnership School. Cynthia surprised her students by performing at a Baltimore Freedom Academy school assembly. The performance’s positive response led her to start an after school club in January 2009.
Teachers from across the city asked Brian and Cynthia to help them build relationships with their students. The duo began leading workshops for fellow teachers and their students. With the support of Hip-Hop dancers from the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region, Brian and Cynthia began leading monthly workshops under the name, the Baltimore Dance Crews Project.
Teachers from across the city asked Brian and Cynthia to help them build relationships with their students. The duo began leading workshops for fellow teachers and their students. With the support of Hip-Hop dancers from the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region, Brian and Cynthia began leading monthly workshops under the name, the Baltimore Dance Crews Project.
