Believers' Scholarship
Perseverance
Every Body Can Move. Every Heart Can Shine.
At The Believers Dance Scholarships, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of dance, movement, and physical activity. We offer FREE scheduled dance, movement, and physical activity classes specifically designed for children and adults ages 7 through adulthood with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental and physical disabilities. Participants attend alongside a parent, guardian, or designated support person.
Our classes provide a welcoming, safe, and structured environment where students can explore movement at their own pace, express themselves creatively, and build meaningful connections with others. Through music, dance, and guided physical activities, participants have opportunities to develop balance, coordination, body awareness, and muscle control while building confidence, having fun, and making new friends.
Movement with Purpose. Dance with Joy.
Our goal is to enrich the lives of children and adults with disabilities by making dance and physical activity accessible, enjoyable, and rewarding. We recognize that every individual has unique strengths, abilities, and needs. That is why our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to offer adaptable activities that encourage participation, celebrate individual progress, and allow each student to experience success in their own way.
Through the power of music and movement, we strive to create an environment where every student feels welcomed, supported, valued, and encouraged to shine.
Our Commitment
The Believers Dance Scholarships is dedicated to enriching the special needs community through inclusive dance and physical activity programs that nurture the body, mind, and spirit.
Every individual deserves the opportunity to move, express, connect, and belong. We believe that with encouragement, understanding, and opportunity, everyone can discover the joy of movement and the confidence to shine in their own unique way.
True North Scholarship
Passion
Celebrating the Passion, Dedication, and Heart of Teachers and Coaches
This scholarship honors all dance teachers whose passion, dedication, and love for their craft inspire students to discover the joy of dance. Great dance teachers do more than teach steps and choreography; they nurture confidence, encourage creativity, build character, and inspire their students to believe in themselves.
“Behind every dancer who believes in themselves is a teacher who believed in them first.”
We recognize the countless dance teachers who believe every child deserves the opportunity to experience the beauty and joy of dance. Through their commitment, encouragement, and willingness to go above and beyond, they create opportunities for students to learn, grow, and reach their fullest potential.
The Believers Dance Scholarships celebrates these extraordinary educators and their unwavering belief in their students. By helping remove financial barriers to dance education, we honor the teachers who inspire dreams, nurture talent, and remind every student that with dedication, perseverance, and support, anything is possible.
Because every dancer deserves a chance to shine, and every great teacher deserves to see their students' dreams take flight.
Jeanne D. Viola Memorial Scholarship
Strength
A Life of Love, Faith, Dance, and Inspiration
Jeanne D. Viola was a vibrant, fun-loving woman whose life was defined by her unwavering devotion to her family and her love for others. Her happiest days were spent raising her seven children, whom she lovingly raised as a single mother following the passing of her husband. Jeanne gave her children the gift of unconditional love, taught them to know and love God, and instilled in them the importance of respect, kindness, and compassion for everyone they encountered.
A gifted dancer and gymnast, Jeanne shared her passion for movement and fitness with her community. Upon returning to work, she began teaching jazz, ballroom, and belly dancing at the Delco YMCA. Her enthusiasm, leadership, and dedication led her to become the Director of Women's Physical Fitness at the Chester and Rocky Run YMCA, where she continued to inspire others to embrace an active and healthy lifestyle.
During her years at the YMCA in the 1970s, Jeanne was selected to attend a seminar led by a pioneering creator of Dance Aerobics from California. This experience helped pave the way for her to become Delco's first Dance Aerobics instructor. Through her classes, she inspired men and women of all ages to discover the joy of movement and understand the importance of aerobic exercise for cardiovascular health and overall well-being.
Jeanne's legacy extends far beyond her accomplishments in dance and fitness. She touched lives through her kindness, enthusiasm, faith, and belief in the potential of others. She understood that movement could strengthen the body, uplift the spirit, build confidence, and bring people together.
The Believers Dance Scholarships honors Jeanne's memory and the values she lived by: love, compassion, perseverance, and the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and shine. Her spirit lives on through every scholarship awarded, every dream encouraged, and every life touched by the power of dance and the arts.
Her legacy continues to inspire us to believe in others, just as she believed in the power of every individual to live a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life.
Doris Hart Dance Scholarship
Dedication
A Teacher, Mentor, and Inspiration for a Lifetime
Your first dance teacher does more than teach you the art of dance; they teach you to love it. For countless students, Doris Hart was that extraordinary teacher.
Doris had a remarkable gift for teaching self-discipline with love, inspiring her students to believe that through hard work, dedication, and perseverance, anything is possible. She understood that dance was about more than steps and technique. It was about building confidence, developing character, discovering one's potential, and learning lessons that would last a lifetime.
A professional dancer, entertainer, teacher, and mentor, Doris knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in dance. Determined to perfect her craft, she studied with professional dancers and choreographers in Philadelphia and New York. As a young adult, she embarked on a successful career that took her across the country and internationally, performing at renowned venues in major cities alongside celebrated talents, including Andy Griffith and Rose Marie.
Eventually, Doris left life on the road to start a family and share her passion for dance with her own community. In the mid-1960s, she opened the Doris Hart Dance Studio in Springfield, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Through her exceptional teaching, dedication, and love for her students, she built one of the most successful dance studios in the Delaware Valley.
Until her retirement in 1997, Doris touched the lives of generations of dancers, teaching far more than choreography. She instilled the values of discipline, commitment, confidence, and perseverance while creating an environment where students could grow, express themselves, and discover the joy of dance.
Doris Hart was more than a dance teacher; she was a mentor who inspired her students to believe in themselves and their dreams. Her influence lives on through the countless lives she shaped and the lessons she imparted both inside and outside the studio.
The Believers Dance Scholarships honors Doris Hart and the lasting impact she made as a teacher and role model. Her legacy reflects the very heart of our mission: to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to experience the joy of dance, pursue their passions, and reach their fullest potential.
