We are extremely excited to partner with ZZ DANCE, a brand new dance studio located in Cherry Hill, NJ, where founders Sammy Zweben and Meredith Ziemba embrace diversity by offering an abundance of dance classes for all ages, genders, abilities and needs.
“We know that people will learn to dance just by walking through our doors,” co-creator Sammy Zweben told us. “What we looked for in teachers beyond that was a group of kind, strong, inclusive and loving humans who would help us carry out our mission.”
Part of that mission is making classes, typically reserved only for neurotypical children, available to the masses. ZZ DANCE is now home to a unique experience for kids with differences and disabilities called ZZ Jams. In honor of this wonderful venture, Holton’s Heroes has pledged to grant a full-year scholarship to one child in the ZZ Jams class every year.
The year-long class “will explore the world of dance, while encouraging each specific chid’s needs,” Miss Sammy, as her students call her, told us. “[The sponsorship] will also cover recital tickets, a recital costume, ZZ apparel and footage from any and all performances. It’ll cover the entire class from beginning to end!”
All of us at Holton’s Heroes are proud to announce that our first recipient is an inspirational 16-year-old named Kai Gleason.
“Kai’s injury occurred on June 26th, 2005 in Okinawa, Japan when she was 15 months old,” her father, US Marine Corps veteran John Gleason, told us. “Her injury was a result of shaken baby caused by her mother. It is truly a miracle that Kai even survived, as she was given her last rights in the hospital and given only a 5-10% chance to live.”
ZZ Jams 2020 scholarship recipient Kai Gleason poses with ZZ DANCE owner Sammy Zweben (right) and apprentice dance instructor Haley Levin (left).
Of course, those who know Kai are not surprised that she not only pulled through but thrives today as a popular high school sophomore in South Jersey.
“Kai is always the life of the party,” her dad boasts. “She is funny, outgoing, caring and will always make you feel special when you walk into a room.”
When asked about why Kai will benefit from participating in ZZ Jams, John told us, “Having dance class every Saturday has given Kai a true sense of camaraderie and joy that many other children have when on sport teams. It is something that she now gets to experience.”
In ZZ Jams, children like Kai get to take away so much more than simply learning a few new dance steps. They get to see other kids just like them trying their hardest. They get to feel successful, prideful and talented. They get to experience friendship and leadership alike. They are given the opportunity to excel at something, so that one day they may lead a class just like this.
But most importantly, as Miss Sammy says, “It’s an entire class where the kids get to be free.”
“I would like donors to know that their donations have given Kai a scholarship that puts a smile on her face every Saturday,” John recently wrote to us. “Kai actually has something that she can call her own. She tells me ‘Daddy it is my dance class and you can just watch.’”
Well, Holton’s Heroes is excited to watch alongside Kai’s dad as ZZ DANCE and its community inspire those around them through inclusion for years to come.
“We all take for granted the ease of being in the world when your body works the way it was intended. I also think it’s incredibly important to remind our dancers of just how lucky they are, and to do what they can to help and bring awareness to incredible causes like Holton’s Heroes.”
Check out photos of Kai and her peers HAVING FUN in ZZ Jams
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