My daughter began dancing at age 3 and soon we were able to recognize that this was her gift, so we set out to nurture it.

Around the age of 10, we found Washington Ballet at THEARC and I entrusted the nurturing and care of my daughter to this community so that she could continue to learn and grow as a dancer. And I have never regretted that decision.  

If I am being honest, I did have my concerns about how a dance school that had traditionally rarely featured dancers of color would operate in a community that was comprised of overwhelmingly people of color, people disproportionately affected with poverty, substance abuse, mental illness and the highest rate of children with incarcerated parents in the city. Would they come in with a “savior complex” or would they really take the time to learn and nurture the community? And yet, we pressed forward. To my delight and amazement, what we encountered was an environment that was able to provide quality dance instruction while at the same time being cognizant of the needs and challenges of the community.

Ms. Katrina (as I affectionately still call her) and her staff not only taught dance, but also instilled a sense of pride and confidence to the students that allowed them to walk a little taller, to take risks and embrace the possibilities beyond what they saw in their day-to-day life. Ms. Katrina and her staff treated the parents and the children with respect and were open to listening when there were differences of opinion. In her interactions with the community, she demonstrated the mandates of cultural competency that are required when cultures engage together without the typical “condescension” that is often displayed when different cultures meet. This was demonstrated in her offering opportunities to engage with the community outside of class time including parent/caregiver meetings, holiday gatherings and highlighting other special occasions. Through this, Ms. Katrina was able to successfully integrate into the community and made the space feel like a place of safety, nurturing and care.  When challenges occurred, and they inevitably would, she remained calm and professional and engaged the listener in considering how they could together seek a solution (and that is an art within itself). She also advocated for our children to have a place at the table of the main Washington Ballet site during the annual productions of “The Nutcracker” which afforded, for some of our children, their first opportunity to perform outside of their community.

If anyone deserved to be the Director, it was definitely Katrina Toews as she had so successfully integrated herself into the community. Here was a woman who not only stated that she loved our children and the community, but she demonstrated it on a daily basis. Eventually when she was named the Director, I exhaled a sigh of relief. Katrina Toews would be an asset to any organization that she is a part of, and I highly recommend her.