Welcome to the DAM Community Spotlight!
Our incredible team makes our world go round at DAM and we could not be more grateful. We are thrilled to be sharing a series of stories from current volunteers and alumni.
We are happy to highlight our next DAM alumni, Devon Lewis!
Community and Movement – Devon and a dancer having fun with props at a DAM visit to the National Ballet School!
Devon joined DAM as a volunteer at just 10 years old, supporting some of the first ever DAM classes at Dance Elite and June Lawrence School of Dance. By the time she got to university, Devon started teaching classes at Dance Elite, quickly shifting to dancing in a virtual environment.
“My first year of officially being a teacher was the 2019-2020 season, and the quick pivot to virtual dancing was so much fun to figure out. I moved to Vancouver Island in 2020 and was lucky enough to continue with virtual DAM classes for another 2 years.”
Devon recounts her visit back to Ontario to see the 2019 Performance Crew dance on stage to This is Me. She shares how special it was to see the performance and its powerful message, smiling and being brought to tears as she watched.
Although Devon is no longer directly involved with DAM, she shares how her time in the community has continued to impact her life. Devon runs an after-school and camp program called Teen Community Connections, which serves teenagers with disabilities. Devon also still teaches dance to both children and adults, and is connected with Embrace Arts, an organization that offers adaptive arts classes and performance opportunities in Victoria.
Devon’s Current Involvement with Embrace Arts. Photo Credit: Andrew Barrett
“Being a part of the DAM family for so long helped shape me into who I am today. I knew for a long time that accessible recreation was my calling.”
Devon conveys how much of an impact her experiences at DAM had on where she is today and how much her relationships with DAM Directors, Mallory and Jade, mean to her. She continues to support and love the DAM community, even from afar.
“I still wear my DAM shirts around Victoria and jump at any opportunity to tell people what it’s about! There’s a big place in my heart for this family, and I’m so happy to see it continue to grow and thrive!”
Community means everything to us at DAM, near or far – dance connects us – and we are so happy to have Devon sharing her support after all these years!
