Corinne Smith provides for JV Outreach’s ballroom method

by Gabriel Ramos

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Corrine Smith is one of the many teachers employed by JV Outreach to provide dance lessons for various schools in Fulton County. Today, she’s teaching at Ridgeview Charter School, where kids from grade 6-8 will learn such dance styles as the Cha Cha and the Tango.

“These two styles complement each other well, because one is fast and has a lot of hip action, and the other is smoother but sharp,” she explains.

JV Outreach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the art of dance to children in Fulton County, and this is one of their programs in action.

Corinne Smith is a champion dancer who loves teaching children.
Photo by Gabriel Ramos

Smith believes that learning should be fun and energetic for children; otherwise they’ll quickly lose attention. The nice part about dance, she says, is that it keeps them moving and active.

She brings a solid background as a 10-Dance and American Rhythm Pro/Am Champion under the National Dance Council of America banner to the table. This experience helps her to explain things as a student would understand them, but her personality is what drives the lessons home.

“She’s such a joy to have, and she works really well with kids,” says Jacqueline Vergez, CEO of JV Outreach.

It’s easy to see the effects of her lessons. Within minutes the children are learning something new and are enthusiastic about the process, especially at an age where hormones dominate their personalities. Even with a gym full of more than 60 children, Smith still has them in relative order.

“I love this job,” she says with a laugh. “I wouldn’t be doing anything else.”