Dancers in Moving in the Spirit’s Junior Company, comprised of students ages 8-13, will embark on a regional dance tour on April 10th-11th, 2008. The tour, entitled Tour Explosion!, will include performances for children and seniors at the Atlanta Children’s Shelter and Sunshine Senior Center.

Every year, the Junior Company participates in an annual regional dance tour. The Junior Company, which uses the discipline of dance to teach problem solving and critical thinking skills, provides students with performance, leadership and mentor opportunities. The goals of Tour Explosion are to provide pre-teens with educational experiences and collaborations with other youth organizations, create leadership opportunities for pre-teens through public speaking and lecture demonstrations, and produce a body of work that focuses on racial reconciliation and tolerance.

This year’s Tour Explosion will take place in Atlanta, GA. Past Junior Company tours have traveled to such places as Columbus, GA, Augusta, GA, Athens, GA and Chattanooga, TN.

“The Junior Company works very hard all year for the opportunity to perform on tour,” says Corissa Castle Wood, Director of the Junior Company. “While on tour, Junior Company members are able to practice everything we teach them in their Moving in the Spirit classes: responsibility, accountability and leadership skills. They must show respect to themselves and others in their posture and body language; they must think critically and speak articulately when they are asked questions during talk-backs with audiences; and they must work together to resolve conflicts or obstacles that may arise during Tour.”

Congratulations, Junior Company. Have a wonderful tour!