By ANN MORRISON

Strongsville Post associate editor

Students at Sts. Joseph and John School in Strongsville have begun dancing their way to success. On Oct. 11, the fifth grade students began the first of a 10-week Dancing Classrooms course, the goal of which is to teach them respect, self-confidence, communication and acceptance.

Dancing Classrooms started in New York City in 1994, but came to the Cleveland area in 2008 under the direction of Jo Jo Graham. The program is put on in both public and private schools, and was brought into Strongsville as somewhat of a tribute to Graham's mother, Denise. When she was alive, Denise Graham worked in the office at Sts. Joseph and John for a period of time. Now, through the first year of an endowment fund in her name, her desire to help children succeed will be continued at the school that she loved.

Though she is typically the director of the program, Graham will take the lead as the instructor for the classes that have been awarded the endowment in her mother's memory.

"The children and families were very supportive of my mother, and this is something that we can do to pay tribute to her and to honor her memory. It's something that she would have loved to see at this school," Graham said.

Over the course of the 10-week program, the students will have 20 sessions with Graham. They will learn such dances as the merengue, rumba, tango, swing, waltz and foxtrot. But the emphasis isn't so much on the dance moves the students learn as it is on the attitude they take on. Dancing Classrooms' mission is to "build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance."

"It's not about the dance," Graham said. "The wonderful thing about it is that the kids come in not knowing what to expect. To see them going from Day 1 with no confidence in their ability to the end when they have a new-found confidence in themselves is amazing. There are so many different barriers that are broken down."

There is also a large curriculum component to the program, which ties it in perfectly with what the students are already doing in their classrooms. Throughout the experience, they will each keep a journal and will have writing assignments to complete. They will also learn about health and wellness as they learn the physical aspects of dance.

Dancing Classrooms will be integrated into the school day twice a week for the duration of the program. It is a collaborative effort with the teachers, who are active participants from the very beginning. They are encouraged to bring the concepts taught in the class back into their daily lessons, and promote the lifelong skills that the students are learning.

Dancing Classrooms has seen great success around the country. In northeast Ohio, it has been introduced in 58 classrooms in Cuyahoga, Lake and Summit counties. Graham's goal is to at least double that number in the coming year. Documentation of the program can be seen in the documentary, "Mad Hot Ballroom" and the feature film, "Take the Lead."