NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida girl will be representing AileyCamp Miami at the White House alongside the camp’s director of education as the youth development and dance program receives an award.
AileyCamp Miami teaches children a lot more than just dance, from personal development and creative communications classes, students develop a self-discipline and a confidence in themselves.
Fourteen-year-old Janasia Johnson will be taking off for Washington, D.C. from Miami International Airport. She’ll be on hand to represent her fellow campers, as Jairo Ontiveros accepts the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, on behalf of AileyCamp Miami, on Tuesday.
The camp, along with 11 other winners, will be honored for using the arts to counter everything from bullying to self-esteem by first lady Michelle Obama, whom Johnson greatly admires. “The fact that she goes on stage and smiles all the time and ignores the haters and negativity just pushes me to do the same thing,” she told 7News on Friday.
Johnson found her voice through the Adrienne Arsht Center’s AileyCamp Miami Program during the summer. She used dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, self-discipline and critical thinking skills.
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