A great story for Christmas cheer.

I recommend a sit with a nice cup of your favorite beverage and then read this true story.


When I first started teaching English in the middle school in La Bocana (little village of 1500 near Punta Abreojos), I had a 13 year old student who was driving me nuts in class. He would get up, walk around (that part actually I allowed as long as he did not walk in front while I was talking) but was prone to mummbling to himself, loudly enough to be a bother. I let it go for two days but on the 3rd, I asked him to meet me during recess.

Salvador and I met in the schoolyard and I asked him what was going on. His response was "I don't want to be here." Very well, I answered, Where do you want to be? "I want to dance." I gave it a couple minutes thought and said.... Look into dance classes in La Paz, get me the cost.

Next day he came to school, we meet again, the cost was so inexpensive that I said: Please ask your Mom if she would let you go to La Paz this summer if I pay for the course.

You have a brother there? If your Mom approves, ask him if he can house you for the summer. All I ask in exchange is that you behave in the classroom, FOR ALL THE TEACHERS.

To make a long story short, Salvador was a great student from then on. He did go to his brother's house in La Paz for the summer. Guess what? This brother paid for the dance course. He finished middle school and high school there, all the time dancing/teaching at the URBAN DANCE ACADEMY.


Here is a photo of him while he was still my student, helping one of the middle school students with her costume. It was cultural day at school and he did a number with some other students.



post pics


Here he is with two other students from my school. Cristina. the one on the top left just finished college 6 months ago on the Blanca Scholarship Project and has a full time job as a Marine Biologist/Aqua culture specialist in Ensenada.







I found this autobiographical statement online:

Hola mi nombre es Marshall Ibarra empece a bailar a los 12 años, bailar para mi significa realmente estar vivo, todo lo negativo se va cuando empiezas a bailar solo están tus compañeros y tu disfrutando cada segundo que pasa de esa conexión increíble que la música nos da.
la disciplina que enseño es Voguing, Waacking & Dancehall. MY NAME IS MARSHALL (his name is Salvador Marshall and he changed to Marshall in La Paz) AND I STARTED TO DANCE WHEN I WAS 12. DANCE MEANS BEING ALIVE, ALL NEGATIVITY DISAPPEARS WHEN YOU START DANCING WITH FRIENDS, ENJOYING EVERY SECOND WITH THE INCREDIBLE CONNECTION MUSIC GIVES US. I TEACH VOGHING, WAACKING AND DANCEHALL.

I have no idea what the three styles are LOL


So, why tell this story? Because a couple days ago I see that he posted that after 10 years, Urban Dance was to be no more. Fearing the worst, I texted him to ask what was going on? He told me HE bought the company and was owner under a new name: IDANCE!!!!


Here some pics of Urban Dancing gigs, he is on the far right in the 1st photo.


















And here he is wearing the new company logo on his tshirt! Who could ever have imagined? Wow. So proud and his mom, BTW, used to thank me every single time she saw me. If he was giving me a hard time in a 45 minute class, imagine what living with him was like. A 13 year old on a rampage is no fun!









The icing on the cake is that I have offerred to sponsor a needy dance student in the future.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!