Special Services

The Paradise Dancers have been in existence since 1998 and this year we will graduate our 100th teen.  Many of these teens go on to other dance venues and continue to enjoy dancing.  Others stay and move up to a higher level of dance here in Paradise. The original concept was to teach dancing to help teens eliminate shyness.  As the years unfolded we discovered many other benefits were happening.

A sense of community, or belonging is mentioned frequently among the teens.  Also some boys experience an empowerment in social skills.  They can be accepted by girls without exhibiting strange behavior.  The girls mention that they can relate to the boys in a safe, approved manner.  Politeness, respect and caring are stressed.

Add to this a different appreciation for popular music.  An ability to move to music and occasionally to perform in front of an audience, rank high on the teen’s fun list.  This also does wonders for self-esteem which sometimes is lacking in teens.

We have never charged the teens any fee or tuition for all of this and will continue that tradition.  We have classes for pre-teens, teens, and even adults, although adults are not free.

We perform at many functions in Butte County, including Gold Nugget Days,  Johnny Appleseed Days, some visiting acts at the Paradise Performing Arts Center, and at many Assisted Living facilities.  In addition, we sponsor Dancing with Our Stars in July each year and in February we hold our annual Vaudeville Extravaganza called Rhythm ‘n Motion. This February was our 6th year of this show. 80 to 100 teens are active in Rhythm ‘n Motion, designing and building sets, choreographing and dancing, Editing music, designing posters, flyers and distributing them.  A good organizational experience.