By Rob Novit
After graduating from Brigham Young University in April, Aiken native Katie Smith wanted to try something different this summer.
And did she ever find it, spending 10 days with an exchange program in Panama - teaching various forms of dance to underprivileged children, including ballroom. She and others visited an orphanage and other facilities near Panama City.
"Our relationships formed with these children were rewarding beyond words," Smith said via email. "The love that you can have for such tiny souls in a short amount of time is truly awe-inspiring."
Others might not have had this opporunity without the tutelage and support of the legendary Carl Crosby, who died earlier this month at 88. He operated the Crosby School of Dance, founded the Aiken Civic Ballet Company and served as the company's artistic director until 2011.
After starting at another area studio at age 3, Smith saw a ballet company performance about nine years later and was thrilled. She joined the company that fall and remained until entering college. She was involved in many high school activities - track, cross-country, Student Council, cheerleading and more - but dancing consumed her.
Working with Crosbywas like nothing she had experienced before, Smith said. He taught her the most basic principles of ballet technique, corrected her alignment and posture, and drove her to become the best performer she could be. At times dance saved her by both relieving stress and by letting her express her emotions through movement.
"Dancing became and still is one of the most monumental gifts that I was ever given." Smith said. "I am so grateful that I was given a teacher that helped me see the talent that I had and pushed me through criticism and love to pursue a career in dance."
She currently lives in Mesa, Ariz., with her husband, Cameron Smith, a dental school student at Midwestern University. Smith, the daughter of Mitzi Guilott and Jeul Guilott, both of Aiken, teaches dance at studios throughout the Phoenix area.
Yet Smith had no plans to major in dance performance when she arrived at BYU in Provo, Utah. A year later, a teacher encouraged her to participate in an audition for the program. After her first round of ballet, she was immediately accepted. Smith emphasized ballet and also was a member of the International Folk Dance Ensemble. During her last two years of college, she also moved to the ballroom company.
Smith's ballroom advisor encouraged her last spring to apply for Movement Exchange, in which selected dancers work with orphans and at-risk students.
In addition to her work with the orphanage in Malmbo, she and other instructors taught dance at an after-school program and a boys' home, as well as the National Dance School and the University of Panama. They also coordinated a performance at the National Theater of Panama with 100 children for an audience of more than 500 people.
They taught jazz, modern dance, ballroom, salsa and contact improvisation. The children at the orphanage range from infants to teenagers up to 18. There are about 100 children at the facility, which is run by nuns. Twenty-three of the children are HIV positive, and many have severe disabilities. The boys' home in Hogar serves boys with family members unable to care for them.
"All the children responded incredibly well to the information that we brought in to teach them and loved being around all the volunteers," said Smith. "I have never done something so satisfying and worthwhile in my life. Truly this was an experience beyond belief."![]()
After graduating from Brigham Young University in April, Aiken native Katie Smith wanted to try something different this summer.
And did she ever find it, spending 10 days with an exchange program in Panama - teaching various forms of dance to underprivileged children, including ballroom. She and others visited an orphanage and other facilities near Panama City.
"Our relationships formed with these children were rewarding beyond words," Smith said via email. "The love that you can have for such tiny souls in a short amount of time is truly awe-inspiring."
Others might not have had this opporunity without the tutelage and support of the legendary Carl Crosby, who died earlier this month at 88. He operated the Crosby School of Dance, founded the Aiken Civic Ballet Company and served as the company's artistic director until 2011.
After starting at another area studio at age 3, Smith saw a ballet company performance about nine years later and was thrilled. She joined the company that fall and remained until entering college. She was involved in many high school activities - track, cross-country, Student Council, cheerleading and more - but dancing consumed her.
Working with Crosbywas like nothing she had experienced before, Smith said. He taught her the most basic principles of ballet technique, corrected her alignment and posture, and drove her to become the best performer she could be. At times dance saved her by both relieving stress and by letting her express her emotions through movement.
"Dancing became and still is one of the most monumental gifts that I was ever given." Smith said. "I am so grateful that I was given a teacher that helped me see the talent that I had and pushed me through criticism and love to pursue a career in dance."
She currently lives in Mesa, Ariz., with her husband, Cameron Smith, a dental school student at Midwestern University. Smith, the daughter of Mitzi Guilott and Jeul Guilott, both of Aiken, teaches dance at studios throughout the Phoenix area.
Yet Smith had no plans to major in dance performance when she arrived at BYU in Provo, Utah. A year later, a teacher encouraged her to participate in an audition for the program. After her first round of ballet, she was immediately accepted. Smith emphasized ballet and also was a member of the International Folk Dance Ensemble. During her last two years of college, she also moved to the ballroom company.
Smith's ballroom advisor encouraged her last spring to apply for Movement Exchange, in which selected dancers work with orphans and at-risk students.
In addition to her work with the orphanage in Malmbo, she and other instructors taught dance at an after-school program and a boys' home, as well as the National Dance School and the University of Panama. They also coordinated a performance at the National Theater of Panama with 100 children for an audience of more than 500 people.
They taught jazz, modern dance, ballroom, salsa and contact improvisation. The children at the orphanage range from infants to teenagers up to 18. There are about 100 children at the facility, which is run by nuns. Twenty-three of the children are HIV positive, and many have severe disabilities. The boys' home in Hogar serves boys with family members unable to care for them.
"All the children responded incredibly well to the information that we brought in to teach them and loved being around all the volunteers," said Smith. "I have never done something so satisfying and worthwhile in my life. Truly this was an experience beyond belief."