Rebecca Davies dancing for a cause

Rebecca Davies is not your ordinary dancer. She is more than a ballet dancer, moving in symphony to the music to make a living. When not in her ballet shoes, she is a social entrepreneur or activist dancing for a cause.The Canadian born dancer was influenced by her elder sister who was a dance. She also saw it as a medium to tell stories in a way no other medium could.“My elder sister was involved in dance, after a while she quit but I stayed,” Rebecca says. “I guess I stayed because I saw it as a unique way to tell stories on history, literature and society in a way no other medium would.” After completing school in Canada, she got a scholarship to study choreography in Russia and later returned to the United States of America (USA) to put up her own dance company- Rebecca Davies Dance Company in 2005. The company was composed of 11 professional dancers and performed original ballet all over the U.S for five years. Later her group started international performances all over the world.Choosing to begin her own company after graduating from Russia rather than being incorporated into a dance company shows an entrepreneurial side to the dancer.She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a post graduate certificate in choreography from Russia and a masters in international relations.“It is always a challenge balancing academics and dance. I am always frustrated that I cannot do all of them better or find a solution to balance them all, but my motivation comes from the kids I work with,” she explains. After creating a production company called- DARFUR in 2008, Davies travelled to post-genocide countries to examine the effects of ethnic conflict and the steps towards reconciliation. During her travels, she figured that through doing what she does she could have a positive impact on lives of vulnerable children.She decided to begin projects abroad that would give street children a safe haven through dance classes and Rwanda was among the beneficiaries.She positioned her dance company to help children in post-conflict areas through an education model that combined dance lessons with an educational model to develop basic skills of street children.“I think it is because of how I was raised. My sister and I were taught that we always have to help humanity, that it was part of what it meant to be a person, it was my passion,” Rebecca notes. So far her company has a foot print in Rwanda, Guinea and Bosnia. In Rwanda, her company partners with Fidesco Rwanda, a non-profit organisation which takes care of street children in Kigali through rehabilitation and reintegration with their families. Through her company’s involvement, the children while under rehabilitation take dance and computer lessons. “When I came to Rwanda, I realised there was so much hope and development yet most people outside often hear negative stories. I wanted to be part of telling the positive story of Rwanda.”

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Rebecca Davies dancing for a cause