If ever there was an example of the power of the arts to change a life, it’s Fredrick Davis’ story.
He got his first taste of performing in 1998 through Dance Alive, a summer program offered to children at city rec centers in a partnership between Ballet Tennessee and Chattanooga Parks and Recreation. Today, the dancer is returning to Chattanooga as a member of the prestigous Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble.
“I had a really traumatic childhood,” said the 23-year-old dancer this week in a telephone interview. “I grew up with nothing. I didn’t have an ‘official’ place to stay. I bounced around a lot. I remember getting meals at the Community Kitchen. We had no money.”
Although his mother lived in town, he lived with a cousin. At age 11, his grandmother, the late Evie Dill, took him in.
“She saved me. She raised me and made a huge impact on my life,” he said.
A turning point in Davis’ life came, he believes, when he was 11 and auditioned for Dance Alive at Carver Recreation Center. Barry and Anna Van Cura, co-founders of Ballet Tennessee, awarded him a Talent Identification Program scholarship, which funded a year’s tuition for further study at the dance studio.
“We saw his potential in that summer program,” said Mrs. Van Cura. “While he was not extraordinary, he did show potential. It was his determination to understand and stick with it until he got it that made him stand out.”
Davis continued studying with the Van Curas through middle and high school. While with Ballet Tennessee, he danced male leads in “Cinderella,” “The Nutcracker,” “Bessie Blues” and was often paired with guest artists.
Davis credits the Van Curas with teaching him much more than basic steps.
RESIDENCY SCHEDULEAnna Van Cura said participants will be accepted today in the following programs until the classes are filled. Call the recreation center to check on space availability.TODAY* Free ballet-based community class for children ages 7-12, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Brainerd Recreation Complex, 1010 N. Moore Road. Contact: Cynthia Gates, 425-3600.* Free ballet-based community class for children ages 7-12, 6:30-7:30 p.m., South Chattanooga Recreation Complex, 1151 W. 40th St. Contact: Kim Battle, 425-3550.* Advanced ballet master class for ages 15 to adult, 6:30-8 p.m., Van Cura Ballet Conservatory at Patten Recreation Center, 3202 Kelly’s Ferry Road, $20 cash only. Contact: Ballet Tennessee, 821-2055.* Adult ballet master class, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd., $20 cash only. Contact: Ballet Tennessee, 821-2055.SATURDAY* Intermediate ballet master class for dancers ages 9 to adult, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Van Cura Ballet Conservatory in Patten Recreation Center, 3202 Kelly’s Ferry Road, $20 cash only. Contact: Ballet Tennessee, 821-2055.IF YOU GO* What: Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble* When: 8 p.m. Saturday* Where: Tivoli Theatre* Admission: $10 to $30* Phone: 757-5050.
“They taught me how to work with others, to be professional and respectful. That’s what has made me successful and how I’ve gotten jobs because I work well with others,” he said.
When he graduated from Center for Creative Arts, the Van Curas helped him win an audition for a scholarship with the Joffrey Ballet School. His survived his first year in New York with assistance from a fund collected by his late grandmother’s church.
The following year, the fund was empty. He said he rejected the idea of returning home and began working numerous part-time jobs to support himself.
He worked as a waiter, took a modeling gig, was a salesman, even cleaned a house in Brooklyn in exchange for a room there.
“My life has been a series of highs and lows. I was on my own again, living out of a suitcase. For five years I lived on rice, potatoes and eggs,” he said.
In 2008, Davis won a place in the Harlem ensemble, which has provided him steady income.
“Dance Theatre of Harlem changed me not only financially but my technique, how I perform. I’ve grown so much.”
He’ll be onstage with the celebrated troupe Saturday night. But before that he’ll help lead a free ballet residency for children ages 7-12 at Brainerd Recreation Center tonight at 6:30.
He knows that paying it forward could make the difference in an urban child’s life, like the Van Curas did for him 12 years ago.