The journey to be a stilt dancer involves much more than just balance. Along the way, students build skills to take responsibility for their own safety, practice trusting oneself and others, learn about different cultures, and flex their own ability to set goals and meet them. Follow along in the coming weeks to learn the steps our students take to learn to dance on stilts.

On the first day, students work in small groups to identify all of the different parts of the stilts.

They then discuss how to inspect the parts of the stilts to ensure they are safe to use each class.
Finally, they learn how to properly pack them up to be ready for the next session.

Photos are from our after school programs at REACH Academy and Sankofa United. Special thanks to our partners, YMCA East Bay and Bay Area Community Resources.

Stilt walking teaches more than balance!