Nekia Wise

I was introduced to the All Stars when I was 16 years old. I danced for four straight years winning talent shows and advancing to the National Finals at Town Hall in 1998. After taking a break from the All Stars while I attended college, I began choreographing a group of girls on my block in BedStuy, Brooklyn for community block parties. I learned how block party rehearsals were the highlight of the day for them. Once that was over some of the girls would resume their daily routine of hanging out on the corner or getting into confrontations with girls from neighboring projects. In 2001 I decided to take them to the program I had grown up with, the ASTSN. I learned that dance practice was keeping them off the street and motivating them to accomplish goals. Goals like learning the dance routine, arriving on time, getting costumes made, and winning talent shows. I realized quickly that I was doing something for my community, connecting young women in the community to positive environments that the ASP creates, like the Phat Friends Awards, the Hip-Hop Cabaret, the annual gala at Lincoln Center, and exposing them to the center here on 42nd Street. Linking the girls to the ASP will indeed develop them into productive citizens.