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A Message From Luna’s Founder, Patricia Reedy
I have been greeting our expanding community on Luna’s birthday since the first celebration March 8, 1992. The date was purposeful and auspicious, coinciding with International Women’s Day and my father, Ron Reedy’s birthday. The tenacity of the fight for women’s rights and my father’s persevering faith in the ultimate goodness in humanity have influenced Luna’s steadfast mission to bring dance to all children.
Today, at age 27, the impact of Luna’s longevity is seen in many ways. It is seen in children that keep returning to our orbit through the constellation of our many programs, such as Rosalie. We first met Rosalie in our Saturday MPACT classes that she attended with her foster care parent. Later, we danced with Rosalie and her birth mother at a residential facility. Her mother was pregnant at the time and took great care to create space for a family of three in each dance activity. Five years later, we taught the baby brother at La Escuelita Elementary school in Oakland and had a tearful, hug-filled reunion with mother and Rosalie.
There are dozens of stories like Rosalie’s, but the lasting power of Luna is due to our faculty’s ability to pay attention to the gaps of unfulfilled need in our communities. They are on the ground, witnessing the realities of people’s lives and constantly asking, “Is there a role dance can play here?” More often than not, the answer is a resounding “yes!”
Dance cannot reverse climate change or prevent war. It is a personal and social experience that works on a local and community level. As an embodied art form, dance requires a person to be present, to be open, and to be in the flow of their creativity. From that place, real connection can occur. Once authentic connection is made, communication flows and lasting change is possible. Such changes are humble but transformative. They do not cause seismic shifts, but might lead to revolutionary shifts in thinking and action. Dance is about the present and the possible.
For 27 years, we at Luna have witnessed the transformative power of dance in our local communities. We’ve also watched the hundreds of teachers we have mentored make changes in their communities because they came to Luna at a pivotal point in their careers. We invite you to join us in making a difference in the lives of children and families living right here, right now and open the door to the possibilities of their futures.
