Indianapolis, IN

Nonprofit, Kids Dance Outreach, celebrates 10 years of bringing inclusive dance experiences to Indy children

Published

2 years ago

November 29, 2022

Nonprofit, Kids Dance Outreach, celebrates 10 years of bringing inclusive dance experiences to Indy children

INDIANAPOLIS — Breaking down limitations and offering alternatives to shine — that is what one native group within the Indianapolis space strives to do daily for kids locally.

Children Dance Outreach is a nonprofit group that gives high-quality arts and dance training to youngsters with dwell music irrespective of their background, irrespective of their skills, and irrespective of their potential to pay.

“It is superb to see when youngsters are simply given the chance with correct steerage and a secure setting to take part in one thing that is significant and enjoyable and joyful. It is superb what they’ll obtain,” stated Michael Johnson, founding creative director for KDO.

Johnson and the KDO neighborhood are celebrating 10 years of serving youngsters throughout central Indiana this 12 months, and this system continues to develop with waitlists for them to come back into colleges.

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“No matter their background. no matter their financial standing. no matter their potential … we wish this to be an inclusive and accessible program for all youngsters,” stated Johnson.

Up to now, greater than 17,000 children in Indianapolis have taken half within the KDO program in a roundabout way.

KDO offers quite a lot of programming alternatives, together with bringing its educating strategies to school-age youngsters in Indianapolis public and constitution colleges. These colleges are 70% minorities, with greater than 80% on the free/decreased meal program, 50% of boys and 50% ladies, based on KDO’s web site.

The KDO Adaptive Dance Packages, like Dancers with Disabilities, attain youngsters with developmental disabilities and spotlight all of their skills to work as a staff and have enjoyable.

Michael Kaufmann’s son Atlas has been part of KDO for a number of years.

“He loves the academics. He loves to bop. He dances at house now and does his personal routines,” stated Kaufmann. “Children construct a camaraderie the place they assist one another and encourage one another.”

Kaufmann says a father or mother to a baby with Down Syndrome, it may be tough to seek out alternatives to participate in actions the place your little one can shine. However they discovered a house for Atlas and a neighborhood by way of KDO.

Kid Dance Outreach celebrate 10 years of bringing dance opportunities to children in Indianapolis

“It is exhausting to seek out issues uniquely tailor-made the place no matter potential and no matter expertise, children are welcome and are getting an opportunity to try this,” stated Kaufmann. “He was within the huge present that they did … the place there (had been) a whole bunch of individuals there to see him dance and carry out — and he did a terrific job.”

Johnson says KDO will not be about making skilled dancers.

“It is actually about exhibiting youngsters that if you happen to strive your greatest day after day, week, after week, month after month, and also you assist your teammates, assist your classmates and let’s applaud and assist one another’s successes, then we’re all going to be okay,” stated Johnson.

“, we will be doing the suitable factor, making the suitable choices. And, yeah, we simply need to deliver folks collectively and present them that arduous work and celebrating one another pays off. After which our neighborhood goes to be a a lot better place for that,” he added.

A giant a part of showcasing the worth of KDO to the neighborhood lies within the arms of their Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator, Dana Vanderburgh, who says she grew up with a dancing background. However KDO works to deliver the enjoyment of dance to all youngsters.

“We’re an enormous neighborhood of parents that imagine dance could make a distinction,” stated Vanderburgh. “KDO isn’t just a mode of dance, it’s a methodology, it’s a pedagogy. It’s particularly designed to make it possible for each little one within the area — irrespective of who they’re, the place they arrive from their bodily skills, any of that — that they are going to have the ability to get that pleasure of dance.”

Vanderburg says an enormous a part of their program is the dwell music aspect. It not solely helps the creative instructors repeatedly have interaction the scholars with out having to stroll over and mess with beginning and stopping music, however the pianist works proper together with the trainer and the scholars.

“Our musicians are matching what is occurring within the classroom. They’re speaking with our educating artists. If we’re doing huge motion, they make the music actually loud. If we’re doing comfortable motion, they quiet it down, They type of maintain little areas with type of interludes in between in order that the music would not cease,” stated Vanderburgh.

“The music is a part of what we’re doing, and that numerous occasions grabs children’ consideration. And that holds their consideration. And so we’re simply extremely fortunate that we’re in a position to present this. After which additionally, it is to the credit score of our musicians and their unbelievable expertise, that they are in a position to take part alongside the educating,” Vanderburgh added.

KDO works to have interaction college students who might battle in a typical classroom setting or at house. Johnson says when the youngsters come to their courses, they’ve a clear slate.

“Generally what we see is a baby that was actually struggling in school or actually struggling in teachers or actually combating habits. Oftentimes, once they come to our program. We do not know their backstory, we do not know that they’ve possibly been labeled by a few of their classmates because the one which’s not good at math or the one which will get in hassle loads.

“It is a clear slate when the youngsters come to us. And oftentimes these youngsters which have had actually struggled being profitable wherever else, generally that one scholar will be profitable in our program, and so they develop into a frontrunner for his or her class in our program. After which when their classmates and academics are lastly standing up and applauding and cheering for one thing that they did nicely, that feeling of success and accomplishment ought to translate again to their tutorial success, again to their decisions on the subject of habits,” Johnson stated.

Johnson says there’s a waitlist for his or her programming and so they at all times need to present it totally free to youngsters and households, which is why they want your assist.

To study extra about find out how to assist KDO and their efforts within the Indianapolis neighborhood, you may try their web site KidsDanceOutreach.org.

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Indianapolis, IN

Red Wings fall to Indianapolis for first loss of second half, 13-4 – Pickin’ Splinters

Published

1 hour ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Red Wings fall to Indianapolis for first loss of second half, 13-4 – Pickin’ Splinters

Red Wings DH Juan Yepez celebrates after hitting a home run in the first inning of Saturday’s game. (PHOTO: Rochester Red Wings/Joe Territo)

BY DAN GLICKMAN

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After a day full of rain, the skies cleared up in time for the Rochester Red Wings to play the Indianapolis Indians on Saturday night. The Red Wings perhaps wished it hadn’t, however, as they fell for the first time in the second half, 13-4, as Indianapolis hitters battered Wings pitching to the tune of 13 hits, including six in a six-run third and three in a five-run fourth spurred by a Malcolm Nunez grand slam.

The loss also ended a six-game win streak for the Wings (4-1 in second half) overall.

“It’s just one of those days,” said Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy. “We just couldn’t stop them, man. They took advantage of some walks and mistakes.”

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JOE TERRITO.

The game started off looking good for the Wings. A night after scoring 14 runs on 17 hits, the Red Wings offense opened the game where it left off, as the team staged a two-out rally with three straight hits, culminating in a two-run home run by Juan Yepez to make it 4-0.

That would be it for the Red Wings offense for the game, as the Indians replied with 13 unanswered runs. Their barrage began in the third, as the Indians batted around the Red Wings and starter Jackson Rutledge with an inning that included six straight one-out hits, including a two-run double to center by Ji Hwan Bae to put Indianapolis on the board 4-2 and a Matt Gorski double to put the Indians ahead, 5-4. Even the second out brought in a run, as Seth Beer raced home before the Red Wings got Gorski in a rundown to make it 6-4.

All of the third-inning runs came against Rutledge, who’d ultimately go three innings and a batter in the fourth while allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks. However, some of it was the result of bad luck, as Indianapolis hitters were able to find open spots in the field and send hits just out of the reach of Rochester fielders. LeCroy had hoped that the right-hander would recover, but after walking the leadoff man in the fourth, he removed him for Adonis Medina.

“I felt good about Rut[ledge],” said LeCroy. “[But] he just couldn’t stop the bleeding there in the third inning, then we went back out in the fourth and walked the first guy.”

What followed was what LeCroy called Medina’s “toughest outing” of the year, as the righty allowed two hits to load the bases before walking in Liover Peguero to bring in a bases-loaded run. The following batter, Nunez, grabbed hold of a 2-1 sinker and sent it over the fence in left-center at a velocity of 108.1 MPH for a grand slam to increase their lead to 11-4.

The Red Wings bullpen held the Indians scoreless after that until they put up two runs in the top of the ninth, with Tim Cate and Orlando Ribalta each throwing two hitless innings. However, Rochester bats struggled against former big leaguer Domingo German– just over a year removed from throwing a perfect game for the New York Yankees. After the Red Wings put up four runs against him in the first, the Dominican held them scoreless his remaining four innings before three different Indianapolis relievers combined to allow just two hits the rest of the way, preventing any sort of comeback.

“We just never got back in it,” said LeCroy.

Offensively, Riley Adams, playing first base instead of his usual catcher, had two doubles as part of a 2-for-4 night, notching an RBI in the first. Darren Baker stole his 26th base of the year in the first inning, tying him for second in the International League.

Neither James Wood nor Dylan Crews started Saturday. While Wood’s absence was likely the result of his upcoming callup (still not officially announced by the Nationals or Red Wings), LeCroy said Crews’ day off was simply a normal rest day combined with some caution after he hit a foul ball off his foot earlier in the series.

The Red Wings conclude their series with Indianapolis on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. Rehabbing Washington National righty Josiah Gray, a 2023 All-Star, will start against a Indians starter to be announced. LeCroy says that Gray will be “full-go” in his second rehab start for the Red Wings. On Tuesday, the Le Moyne product went six innings, allowing four hits and an earned run while striking out four as he works his way back from a right elbow/forearm flexor strain suffered early in the season.

Sunday will be the final game of the Red Wings’ Marvel Super Hero weekend, and will also feature a birthday party for Spikes and Mittsy.

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Indianapolis, IN

Storms move through Indy. NWS issues alert

Published

9 hours ago

June 29, 2024

Press Room

Storms move through Indy. NWS issues alert

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of Central Indiana, including Indianapolis and the surrounding area. Storms capable of producing penny-sized hail and winds up to 70 mph could last at least until 4:45 p.m.

The current storms are expected to be the strongest storms today, National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew White said. There may be damaging winds and lightning. Residual rain is expected at around 6 p.m., and tomorrow will be sunny.

People should stay inside; the NWS recommends people move to rooms with no windows on the lowest floor of the building if possible. Rain may lead to flash flooding, and the NWS advises drivers not to drive through flooded roadways.

🚨 Indiana Weather Alerts: Warnings, Watches and Advisories

⚡ Indiana power outage map: How to check your status

💻 Internet outages: how to track them

🚫 What you should and shouldn’t do when the power is out

🐶 Your neighbor left their pet outside. Who you should call

Where to report power outages and downed lines

AES Indiana customers: 317-261-8111

Duke Energy customers: 1-800-343-3525

How to report downed traffic signals or tree limbs blocking a road

If you encounter a downed traffic signal or a limb blocking a roadway, contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or online at RequestIndy.gov. When calling after hours, press “2” to be connected.

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Indianapolis, IN

Where to catch fireworks shows this Independence Day

Published

16 hours ago

June 29, 2024

Press Room

Where to catch fireworks shows this Independence Day

by: Michaela Springer and Serena Thompson

Posted: Jun 29, 2024 / 08:52 AM EST / Updated: Jun 29, 2024 / 08:52 AM EST

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — With summer in swing in central Indiana, a few things are guaranteed: Heat waves, fireflies, and the Fourth of July.

If you’re wondering where you can catch the fireworks this Fourth of July, look no further – WISH-TV has you covered. Take a look at the schedule below so you can plan your fireworks adventures.

Know of a fireworks show not on our list? Let us know by emailing WISH-TV at newsdesk@wishtv.com!

June 28

July 3

Kroger Symphony on the Prairie – Star-Spangled Symphony: Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers.
Independence Day Celebration at Belgian Horse Winery: Belgian Horse Winery, 7200 W. C.R. 625 N., Middletown.
Night at the Park: Avon Town Hall Park, 6570 E. U.S. Hwy 36, Avon.
Beech Grove All American Day in the Park: Sarah T Bolton Park, 1300 Churchman Ave., Beech Grove.
Meredith Smith Memorial Fireworks Show: The White River Yacht Club, 1400 E. 74th St., Indianapolis.
Whitestown Independence Day Celebration: Eagle Church, 5801 S. Main St., Whitestown.

July 4

Downtown Indy Fourth Fest: American Legion Mall, 700 N. Pennsylvania St., St. Clair Street to North Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania streets, Indianapolis.
Geist Reservoir July 4th Fireworks Show: Geist Marina, 11695 Fall Creek Rd., Indianapolis.
Food Trucks & Fireworks: Danville.
Fourth of July Fireworks: Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, 6 Municipal Dr., Fishers.
Kroger Symphony on the Prairie – Star-Spangled Symphony: Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers.
Westfield Rocks the 4th: Grand Parks Event Center, 19000 Grand Park Blvd., Westfield,
Geist Reservoir: 12600 Fall Creek Road, Indianapolis.
CarmelFest Fireworks: Carmel Ice Skadium, 1040 3rd Ave. SW, Carmel.
City of Lawrence 4th Fest: Lawrence Community Park, 5301 N. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis.
Brownsburg Lions Club July 4th Extravaganza: Arbuckle Acres Park, 200 N. Green St., Brownsburg.
Zionsville Lion Club Fourth of July: Zionsville Lions Park,115 S. Elm St., Zionsville.