Providing a Home Through Dance

George started a dance group to help his friends stay out of trouble. But he found more than just a dance group — he found a community, a home.

“It’s really a family to us. We try to help where we can, because you find, like, someone doesn’t have food in his house. We’ll just sit down and forget about dancing. You contribute together — you give that person something to eat for that night, and maybe two or three days.”

Video Transcript

Meet George, a dance teacher in Gache, Kenya.

George is walking around a house.

George: Welcome to our home. Say, “Hi, hi.”

He’s holding a baby and speaking in a foreign language.

This is the work I used to help my mom with. My friends, they used to discourage me — like, “Why can’t you just come and have fun?” But this is what I used to choose. And then after that, I go and dance from 2:00 all the way to 10:00.

In Gachie, you are surrounded with people who are drinking alcohol — the drugs, they’re all over, the crime rate was very high. It’s very hard to be in that environment and to make the right choice. 

I started dancing in church and I had two groups. First group, most of them ended up in drugs. So I started another group when I joined high school and the same thing happened. 

It’s like a sharp pain put in your heart, and it’s really bad because you grow together, but only a few of you end up in a good life. And they don’t have a future — they need something. 

George has created his own dance crew and is leading them in a dance routine outside.

Ready? Five, six, seven, go. 

I don’t want them to just learn dance like they do in classes. It’s a way of teaching them discipline because through dance, you push yourself to achieve what you wanted. I’ve seen people grow and I’ve seen kids getting away from those peer pressure groups. 

The group works through several moves until several people lose the beat.

Again! 

Several members gather together with arms around each other in prayer.

It’s really a family to us. We try to help where we can, because you find, like, someone doesn’t have food in his house. We’ll just sit down and forget about dancing. You contribute together — you give that person something to eat for that night, and maybe two or three days. 

George is instructing children in dance moves.

One and up. Again — one, two, three, and go. One, two, three, four. 

I teach them without expecting anything. The moment you put money first, you’ll never do it from your heart. It’s really helpful because that person sees something in you and that person will also know the importance of teaching another person. 

Five, six. Come on! 

When you teach someone, that’s a legacy you have left in their heart and in their life, and it’s really great.

Tony Koros, producer: George took us to his parents’ house. And his mom decided that we were not allowed to leave until she had fed us: just these two random people who came in to make a documentary — and she fed us and it was just really beautiful.