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TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

     IWBDF Founder Daysi Cepeda discovered her purpose the moment she stepped onstage as a dancer. Although her chosen career path didn’t make sense to her family, far from being swayed, she has followed through on her conviction that dance is her north star and the reason she was born. She knew that like her, any child with a passion for dance deserves to be guided and supported in the pursuit of their talents, regardless of circumstances. She founded I Want to Be a Dancer Foundation as a pathway for youth who are seeking training and careers in dance to receive technical, emotional, and financial support while they pursue their dreams of becoming performers.

     Over more than three decades of her career, Daysi has been a performer, educator, and community builder. Through this work, she encountered many dozens of children who, like her, were very talented and yet lacked support from their families. The majority of these youth did not want to cause conflict with their families because they didn’t have the financial means or family buy-in to participate. As a result, although they didn’t want to, youth often ended up leaving the program and choosing not to pursue their abilities. This was heartbreaking. Not wanting financial means or a lack of family sign-off to be a barrier for youth to develop and share their unique gifts and talents, Daysi began to invest personally in the training and development of these exceptionally talented students. Because she could see herself in them, and felt their connection with her own story – her own family – it was a no-brainer for her to step up as a mentor, advocate, and financial investor.

     Like many of her students’ parents, while her own could pay for dance classes, they chose not to because they didn’t believe that dance could be a means to make a living. Daysi’s family  encouraged her to focus on becoming a business person or entrepreneur to ensure she would live a financially abundant, self-sustaining life. They did not understand that dance and the arts are not only a source of personal joy, but also a viable career – something Daysi has proven through her work and the nonprofit organization she has built. In fact, Daysi’s story serves as a role model and source of hope for many youth. It’s a source of inspiration that she was able to come from another country and develop thriving arts programs in her city of Miami. And just as the community has been vital to her own growth and development as a leader, through IWBDF, Daysi pays it forward and models the importance of having a sense of duty to the community. That’s what IWBDF is all about: catalyzing a passion for the community through dance and ensuring no talented student is turned away from pursuing their dream.