More than 80 youth were escorted to the Lake Charles Civic Center to participate in Helen Daniel’s Elite Dance Line’s 16th Annual Recital. The talented group was able to pull off 28 routines in a three hour time period. That’s on the level of Beyonce’s Experience DVD. They literally lit up the room! There had to be a lot of preparation for this event and none of the hard work went unnoticed. The staff distributed awards in the beginning and highlighted top performers in the end. A very emotional tribute to 13-year-old Recka Louis Williams II, who died in 2016 from heat exhaustion, was captured as well. In that moment, Recka’s mom was honored alongside Helen Daniel and her mom. Some of the performers were grief-stricken and had to be consoled by staff. Recka touched a lot of people in his short life.
Overall, the night was really positive. It’s really amazing that this program is still going strong, despite the lack of funding from donors and community support. With the help of the parents, Helen Daniel is equipped to ensure that youth are able to perform in uniform and compete at the highest level. That doesn’t mean this organization couldn’t use additional funds from you and I. To be able to get a group of young people of all ages together and teach them all the same routines says a lot about the teacher and student’s level of dedication.
You can watch the live feed of the awards ceremony here.