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A Child's Passion

By Douglas Hays

From the beginning all I wanted to be was a photographer… and a world famous skier, and, of course, a ballet dancer. A tour of duty in the Air Force would also cross my mind-when you are six years old anything is possible-and as a result I pursued all things with a passion. My mother, a dancer in New York's Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and my father, a famous clown with Ringling Bros. Circus, taught by example that finding passion in things comes naturally at a very early age.

Thirty-eight years later I am a father. My 2-year-old son, Jonathan, is developing his own passions. As a result of being exposed to Thomas the Tank Engine on TV and in all manners of retail establishments, he has developed a very predictable passion for trains. As a result of accompanying my wife Dalia and I to our dancing school every day, he has also developed a passion for movement and a pretty mean arabesque as well. He does not care that his developing ballet skills provides a foundation for all of his future "passions" from team sports to skateboarding. And Jonathan does not realize that his passions could save his life. For if I do not provide for Jonathan's passions, someone or something else will. Passion is easily replaced by excitement, and kids (and adults for that matter) experience it in many dangerous ways such as aggressive behavior, drug and alcohol use and vandalism.

Passion also has many powerful effects on us including relieving depression and stress and aiding in recovery from illness. One of our very, very young students, Isabel, has been battling a life threatening illness for most of her young life. One cannot help feeling all sorts of emotions when you meet her and her family. As adults we are aware of sorts of things that kids are not the least bit interested in knowing; however, Isabel knows one thing for sure, she loves to dance and nothing is going to stop her. Recently, on the morning of our school's annual recital, Isabel underwent a medical test that would leave any of us in pain and exhausted. Did that stop Isabel from dancing...no! She made it quite clear to everyone she would not miss joining her class onstage that evening and she proceeded to give a passionate performance with her classmates. According to her parents, Isabel has decided to replace her physical therapy with her passion for dancing and her doctors are "just fine with that."

Myself, I am still pursuing my passions after all these years. After traveling the world as a professional dancer with The New York City Ballet and subsequent careers as a fashion and portrait photographer, multimedia producer and Internet designer, I have somehow managed to combine my earliest passions for photography and dancing with the recent opening of a photography studio. Oops, I almost forgot. I am still planning on learning to fly.

Douglas and Dalia Hays co-direct the Dance Academy in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Douglas is a former dancer with The New York City Ballet and Dalia, a former soloist with The Pennsylvania Ballet. Classes are offered in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Lyrical for students from 3 years to adult. Taking advantage of his expertise in portrait and fashion photography, Douglas has recently opened Academy Studios located in the Dance Academy. For information call The Dance Academy at 856-795-9255.