GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Just before Halloween, 13 ON YOUR SIDE got the chance to sit in on a class at Arts in Motion on Diamond Avenue SE. The room was bustling with activity and good-hearted conversation as students worked hard on their project for the day, a collage featuring a haunted house and an owl. And when it comes to programming, this class is just the tip of the iceberg for the nonprofit.
"There's a lot of different choices for dance. We have, there's ballet, there's gentle movement, there's jazz. We even have tap. We have cardio drum dance where we have drumsticks, and yoga balls inside of buckets, and we just hit it, and we move around to the beat, to the music, and just kind of get our body moving and working up a sweat. That's kind of just like an exercise thing for us. It's fun!" said student Claire Harth.
Claire said Arts In Motion is where her friendship with fellow student Vicki VanderWal began.
"Sometimes when we have fun here, we want more people to be here - people who have disabilities and special needs, and people who have hearing problems. They should come here sometime," said Vicki.
That sense of belonging is something Arts in Motion's executive director Lisa Glover says first attracted her to volunteer at Arts in Motion under founding director Delight Lester.
"When you come here, you feel welcomed and celebrated, and for our general society, people with disabilities can be forgotten about. I think Arts In Motion goes above and beyond to make sure that people feel seen and heard and feel valued," she said.
People in the community are getting to see that value now too, thanks to Arts In Motion's community events that show off student artwork and performances. Sometimes members of the public have the opportunity to buy student-made artwork, and the students take home the proceeds.
"I'm a creative person and this is a wonderful place for creativity to grow. I like that you can be expressive with your emotion and things like that," said student Rachel Abernethy.
Molly Boughner-Weatherbie is the nonprofit's programming director and movement instructor, and she's been with Arts in Motion for 17 years. She says they offer off-site programming as far west as the lakeshore and as far east as Greenville. She knows first-hand how much that programming means to students.
"I had a young student whose mom asked him, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' And he said, 'I want to be a dance teacher, just like my friend Molly.' It's pretty heartwarming to see them be able to be so proud of themselves, you know, as they should be," she said.
Arts In Motion is holding its annual "Chair Affair" on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Monroe Community Church on Monroe Avenue NW in Grand Rapids. Repurposed old chairs will be up for sale as functional art pieces. It's just one of many events the organization puts on throughout the year to help pay for art supplies and tuition assistance.
If you want to follow along with their events, organizers say the best thing to do is follow the Arts In Motion Facebook page. You can also volunteer at the studio or make a donation.
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