CHARLOTTE — Some extracurriculars can be pricey, and dance classes are no exception. That’s why one former dancer took matters into her own hands to ensure any child can learn the art free of charge.
Once a week at Renaissance West STEAM Academy, a handful of young students shuffle into Noel Pipkin’s mobile dance studio — Barre Belle.
“Ballet is very particular. It’s very specific,” she told Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis. “Showing up and coming into a classroom knowing that there’s a routine, there’s regularity, there’s consistency. I think that’s really important.”
Ballet, as Pipkin knows, isn’t an option for everyone. It’s an expensive activity. So seven years ago, she decided to start a mobile dance studio as a way to give back.
She said the idea came to her when she was volunteering at a church in a Section 8 community.
“I was volunteering, and one of the program directors said the biggest issue that they have is transportation in terms of extracurricular activities,” Pipkin said.
Barre Belle brings everything to the students, from ballet bars and leotards to tights and shoes, at no cost.
Christian Bryant is one of the instructors and a recent UNC Charlotte graduate.
“Dance means so much to me,” Bryant said. “Whether I was having a hard day or sad day, I would just turn on some music and start dancing, and it let me have the chance to really let my feelings out. So I feel like it’s important for kids to do.”
Access to that creative expression is one of the reasons Pipkin started the studio, and she’s seen the impact.
“At the end of the semester, they’re saying all the terms,” she said. “They know what a plié is. They know what a tendu is like. You see the self-esteem develop.”
Barre Belle offers weekly classes after school at the west Charlotte school, along with camps, workshops and other classes at other community partners.
There’s also a literacy component where classes do choreography that’s reflective of an assigned book they read.
Learn more about the program at the Barre Belle website here.