Swan is not your typical ballet dance group at all.

It offers access to the arts, to ballet, a form of dance that you don't see very many of our black and brown girls participate in.

The patterns that Sarah offers with Swans, it helps Zoe just be more confident in her body.

And back.

Beautiful.

There is a sense of belonging there.

It's their environment.

It's not just a place that they're going.

We're not just dancing.

We're becoming better people.

Pas de Bourree.

♪♪ You enter a space Swan where they bring their Afro puffs and their braids and their music and their style and flow of being and it's not only celebrated, it's invited.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Here's your shoes.

You can try them on and we'll check them out and see if they fit.

[Sarah Jae] Swan is a dance method.

It incorporates jazz, modern, ballet and other styles of dance.

We create dance accessibility through initiatives for youth programs as well as adults.

We're going to go with some classical.

[Sarah Jae] I would love to see a black and brown professional dance company in Des Moines that has access to ballet.

From here is where the movement is coming from.

[Sarah Jae] That initiative has taken place in Des Moines through Gateway Dance Theatre.

So, we're here to continue their legacy and provide that same energy.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

[Sarah Jae] Ballet is very expensive.

Dance is very expensive.

And a lot of our underrepresented youth don't have access to a lot of extracurricular activities.

So, I think providing a space specifically to create that access is so important.

I know a lot of kids who want to do this professionally.

They just need, they need the space, they need the opportunity.

They have the gift.

They have the talent.

They just need, they need the community supporting them.

I'd like everybody to walk on the stage like they're about to walk on a yacht.

And we are having a Yacht party.

What about a Disney cruise?

♪♪ [Deshara Bohanna] We live in Ankeny, Iowa.

Iowa is very white and Ankeny is even more white.

I have looked for opportunities for their identities to be affirmed and that is rare here.

My circle, then we just jump into line right here and do this.

[Deshara Bohanna] They deal with a lot of challenges with esteem, with being picked on, isolated, left out, so many things.

Yes, that was so good!

[Deshara Bohanna] And so having this space created that celebrates all the pieces of them unapologetically and to have leadership that loves and that values these girls -- Yes, yes, yes, yes!

[Deshara Bohanna] -- they look forward to it every week.

♪♪ [LeMar Yeager] There's just an overall desire to have diversity and to have everyone welcome to see each other, different walks of life and I think that's important to be able to at an early age see someone who looks like you or someone who talks like you or just somebody in the same age group, things of that matter.

[Cynthia Hunafa] If you don't see people looking like you, you don't think that it's possible.

But the more we have that kind of exposure and showing the possibilities and opportunities, it gives young folks something else to say, they could do it, watch me.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] In ballet, everyone strives to be perfect.

In the dance world there is a hyper focus on perfection.

And what I learned from dance is the opposite and I like to teach that and I like to apply that into my classes because I want the students, although we focus a lot on technique, I also want them to bring their emotions to the pieces or even just to class as we're learning technique.

I want them to feel the music and connect and leave feeling better and more empowered.

Who wanted to be really good?

Me!

Okay, then we need to work on a couple of things.

So, I need everyone in their spots and listening please.

♪♪ Yes!

[Sarah Jae] I really want to support them in finding their own voice.

When it comes to production and the ins and outs of our performances, they are right there with me picking out music, creating the themes.

Every piece you see has been a collaborative effort.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] I've seen so many friendships being built in class and that's the most important part to me.

I've seen a lot of neurodivergent kids like myself be empowered through the program.

I am beautiful.

I am beautiful.

I am strong.

I am strong.

And that's because.

And that's because.

I am a swan.

I am a swan.

Very good.

Thank you!

[Sarah Jae] Even having access to places like Hoyt Sherman and performing in that theater is such a beautiful and amazing experience.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] It's really important that they get those experiences and feel confident.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] They know exactly where everything is, the backstage, they have ownership of the space.

So, before we dance, because it's almost time, we're about to start, we're going to breathe in through our nose like this -- ♪♪ -- and breathe it out.

♪♪ (applause and cheering) ♪♪ [Aminah Nalani] Dance is honestly probably the biggest part of who I am.

It just allows me to feel so free.

♪♪ [Israel Kelai] I like to just find different creative outlets to express myself, especially with dance, I just like movement.

It just helps me release my mind, helps me just feel good.

You know, when you just get that good feeling in your body and you just want to show it and embrace it, that's what dance is all about, just embracing the good moments that your body is feeling.

♪♪ (applause and cheering) [Sanai Bohanna] I think you can express your emotions and your voice and you can find out who you are.

♪♪ [Sarai Bohanna] It made me stronger in just my life.

It helps me get through a lot of things.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] They have taught me so much.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] As I watch them gain confidence, I too am gaining more confidence in myself.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] As we continue to partner with more organizations in Des Moines, they're gaining ownership of their community and we're creating stronger community leaders through that type of initiative.

♪♪ [Sarah Jae] We're breaking stereotypes here.

I want them to understand that they are part of a moment in history in Des Moines because we are creating this very impactful moment in history and the dance world in Iowa right now.

♪♪ [LeMar Yeager] It would be nice to see something like this taking place in every community because in every community there is a lack of opportunity for some demographics.

We're selling our young people short if we don't provide them with opportunities like this.

♪♪