The ballet bar is where discipline and creativity meet, but dance class is a luxury many can't afford.
"Because you know ballet is very expensive," Above the Clouds Director Tina Washington said. "Dance classes are expensive."
Above the Clouds is a faith-based nonprofit that offers free ballet, hip-hop, theater, and vocal classes to students who might otherwise be unable to afford the class.
'We don't want them to think it's only for those with a lot of money and for one race," Washington explained. "They get to learn what they want to learn and not worry about the cost."
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Above the Clouds has 65 students between the ages of 5 and 17 taking classes at their location at the William M. McDonald YMCA in Fort Worth.
"We realize that art opens up the children's personalities," Washington said. "It gives them a chance to see who they are."
Last year, Above the Clouds held its first recital, allowing students to showcase what they've learned and build their confidence.
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"It just warms my heart because I know what it's like to not be able to take dance because I couldn't afford it as a young person," Washington said. "And so when I see that someone else can, and I can be a part of that happening, it just does everything for me!"
