ANTHONY: MOTHERS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, AND THE BOND DOESN’T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE BIOLOGICAL.
SHAYNA: FOR PROOF, HEAD TO A LEGENDARY DANCE STUDIO IN DORCHESTER.
>TO FIND A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK DANCE INSTITUTION WITH HALF A CENTURY OF RICH HISTORY CHANGING THE LIVES OF INNER-CITY YOUTH, YOU COULD CATCH A BUS TO HARLEM, NEW YORK, OR JUST WALK TO THE
CORNER OF BLUE AVENUE AND FABIAN STREET IN DORCHESTER, WHERE YOU WILL FIND A HUMBLE STUDIO THAT IS THE LIFEWORK OF THIS LOCAL LEGEND.
>> MY NAME IS ANDREA, AND I AM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE ROXBURY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.
I OPENED MY SCHOOL IN OCTOBER OF 1967.
MY SCHOOL WAS REALLY A NEED FOR THE ARTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT WAS A SAFE HAVEN FOR THEM TO COME IN AND ENJOY WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND TO LEARN HOW THEY COULD NOT KNOW SOMETHING AND WORK HARD AT IT AND GET IT.
SHAYNA: IMPORTANT LESSONS SHARED BY MISS ANDREA WITH A GENERATION OF KIDS.
>> DOWN ON WASHINGTON STREET, THERE WAS A WHITE DANCE SCHOOL, AND MY MOTHER TOOK ME THERE WHEN I WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD.
WE WENT UPSTAIRS AND THE LADY SAID, SORRY, I DON’T TAKE BLACK CHILDREN.
MY MOTHER TOOK ME OUT, AND THAT’S HOW I GOT TO MILDRED KENNEDY.
SHAYNA: MILDRED KENNEDY WAS A DANCER.
IN HER SCHOOL, SHE FACED SIMILAR DISCRIMINATION.
IN HER SCHOOL, MS. ANDREA FOUND A ROADMAP FOR THE SCHOOL SHE WOULD SOMEDAY OPEN.
>> SHE TURNED NO ONE AWAY.
IT HAS TAKEN ME A LONG WAY BECAUSE I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING, EVEN ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET.
SHAYNA: ONE THING MISSING AND APPROVES SHE CAN DO IS TURN OUT AMAZING DANCERS.
>> MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL DANCER WAS CHRISTOPHER.
I HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD TAP DANCERS.
MY NEPHEW, DEREK, SEAN.
I HAVE HAD A LOT OF STUDENTS COME THROUGH HERE AND BRANCH OUT AND OPEN UP THEIR OWN SCHOOLS.
I HAVE BEEN BLESSED.
SHAYNA: BLESSED AND A BLESSING TO THOUSANDS OF THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE FOUND A SAFE SPACE IN WHAT SHE CREATED.
MS. ANDREA HAS ONE SON, BUT ASK HOW MANY CHILDREN SHE HAS -- >> THOUSANDS.
>> IT IS AN INSURMOUNTABLE NUMBER.
>> IT HAS A GAZILLION DAUGHTERS.
SHAYNA: ONE OF THEM, REA THOMPSON, NOW TEACHES AT THE SCHOOL.
>> THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR SIX SPACE.
I USED TO BE ABLE TO STAY HERE UNTIL 4:00 IN THE MORNING, AND MY PARENTS HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS.
SHAYNA: STUDENTS BEGAN AS YOUNG AS AGE THREE AND PROGRESS TO THE JUNIOR COMPANY.
FROM THERE, A SELECT FEW IN TINTO UP -- A SELECT FEW END UP HERE.
>> I FELT SO PROUD TO BE PERFORMING HER WORK.
SHAYNA: ROBIN IS THE LONGEST ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COMPANY WHOSE MEMBERS ARE AS DIVERSE AS THE COMMUNITY THEY REPRESENT.
>> EVERYBODY HERE HAS A UNIQUE PERSONALITY THAT COMES OUT THROUGH THEIR DANCE, AND SHE CELEBRATES THAT IN HER CHOREOGRAPHY.
SHAYNA: NOT ALL MEMBERS OF THE SENIOR COMPANY GO ON TO A DANCE CAREER, BUT MANY CHOOSE TO PASS ON THE LESSONS THEY HAVE LEARNED.
>> I AM A FULL-TIME ATTORNEY, PATRIOTS CHEERLEADER.
I ALSO STARTED MY OWN NONPROFIT.
SHAYNA KIM GORDON MOST RECENTLY TOOK HER NONPROFIT TO CUBA, WHERE SHE AND THOMPSON PROVIDED DANCE LESSONS TO 40 KIDS.
>> I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BRING DANCE TO OTHER KIDS WHO POSSIBLY WOULD NOT EVER BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT.
SHAYNA: FROM TEACHER TO STUDENT TO STUDENT, HER LESSONS LIVE ON, AND INSPIRATION FOR GENERATIONS OF KIDS REDEFINING WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
>> THIS ENVIRONMENT WAS MY FIRST REAL EXPOSURE TO PROFESSIONAL DANCE AND PROFESSIONAL DANCERS, SO THERE WAS NEVER REALLY THAT THOUGHT FOR ME THAT A BALLERINA COULD NOT LOOK LIKE ME.
SHAYNA: 50 YEARS, A LEGACY SECURED.
SO, WHAT’S NEXT?
>> EVENTUALLY THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN I SAY I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, BUT I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THERE YET.
ANTHONY: MS. ANDREA SAYS MANY OF HER FORMER STUDENTS STILL CALL HER "MOM." AND LIKE ANY GOOD MOTHER, SHE HAS NO FAVORITES.
SHAYNA: THE SCHOOL IS ACTUALLY IN DORCHESTER.
IT MOVED FROM ROXBURY 35 YEARS AGO AND KEPT ITS NAME.
ANTHONY: NEXT, THE INSIDE STORY OF A UNIQUE MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION.
>> THE IDEA WAS REALLY TO TAKE TEENAGE GI