Dance With Destiny is a new program designed by TPA Sports Foundation to help youth improve their physical fitness, develop solid life-skills, build personal assets, and get involved in community service. The program is for inactive girls ages 13 – 16 years old. It addresses three national priorities: increased physical activity, improved education, and community service.

Dance with Destiny is a dance program that provides girls an opportunity to take dance classes from partnering dance schools. The program provides assistance with tuition, transportation, dance instruction, costumes, shoes, mentoring and support. The program targets girls from families living in low income neighborhoods. TPA Sports will use community non-profit agencies as well as public schools to refer potential participants.

TPA Sports Foundation chose dance as a vehicle to promote healthy self-image and build discipline because the formal practice of dance develops poise, discipline and personal fulfillment. Dance is typically popular with girls at an early age because of exposure to television, radio and other media. TPA Sports will use this popularity to make the formal practice of dance available to low income young girls, changing the image of the female dancer from “video queen/pop star” to an artist practicing an art form.

The program will help inspire and guide youth in the belief that they can realize their potential physically, intellectually and socially, and they can make a difference in their community. The program primary focus is three-fold: improve health & fitness through physical activity, enhance life-skills through functional education, and build self-esteem by participating in community service projects. Working together these components provide a framework for encouraging lifelong learning, building self-confidence and self-discipline, establishing healthy relationships and making better life choices.

TPA Sports Foundation is firmly committed to using sports as a platform to teach life lessons about making good choices, along with the value of commitment, hard-work, teamwork and service. The Dance With Destiny initiative represents new and innovative programming that combines all of these priorities, and provides the avenue to achieve long-term goals and objectives for the organization, as well as the community. TPA Sports is also, committed to delivering a new model for amateur student-athletes: a model that values good character and smart decision-making as desirable traits, first and foremost.

The following companies have made a commitment to TPA Sports Foundation to provide resources to support Dance with Destiny. We thank them for their vote of confidence in our work, their support and their willingness to lend a helping hand to aid the community.