By Malini Nagpal, Ph.D.
Imagine an eleven (11) year old girl is abruptly uprooted from the only world she has known in the Himalayas and relocated to Orange County California. As she tries to acclimate to this new world, she feels anxious, scared, excited, and at the same time she is “wonder eyed” by seeing so many things that are new to her. At school she’s excited to join a dance club.
She shows up to audition with her dance “ghungroos” (dance bells) and recorded music. She enters the school’s cafeteria turned audition room and sits down against the wall with the rest of the kids waiting to be called on to perform their pieces. She ties her ghungroos around her ankles and feels strange. She looks up and sees everyone staring. Her heart beats faster and the palm of her hands start to feel sticky; she shrinks a little bit and withdraws into the floor.
One by one each student’s name is called by a panel of adults sitting behind a rectangular cafeteria table. She then hears her name and the is asked,
“Are you ready?”
“Ummm, y-e-s,” she says.
She hurries and pushes ‘play’ on the tape-recorder and runs to the middle of the room and starts to dance. It’s three minute choreography and when it’s over, there is no applause or smiles. Instead there is complete silence and blank stares. All of a sudden from the silence she hears,
“What is that?”
She responds, “Kathak” “It’s my dance.”
“Where are you from?” is the next question.
“Himachal, India.”
“Oh, so this is ethnic expression and not dance. Can you do tap or Ballet, or hip-hop?”
“No” she says, as she shrinks further into herself and into the cement floor
“Oh, okay, thank you so much from sharing”
The little girl walks out of the room shaking.
It wasn’t until this moment that she feels that she doesn’t belong that somehow she’s different. That her dance and the way she moves is not acceptable that she is not accepted. A week later she is informed that she’s not selected because she needs to learn hip-hop, Ballet, Jazz, or modern dances to be part of the dance club.
Now imagine a Music and Dance school whose vision is to create an inclusive space, where all music and dance forms are accepted, promoted, and cultivated. Where the organization’s leadership intentionally embeds respect for not only the history of all performing art forms, but strategically cultivates a safe space to create a future that consistently encourages music and dance synergy and innovation. Where people, regardless of their background, can be seen and be accepted.
Where all dance and music is not only perceived as equal, but rather is integrated into the fiber of the community. This is what Orange County Music and Dance (OCMD) strives to achieve. “There are three things that tie us together: food, music, and dance” says Douglas Freeman, CEO of Orange County Music and Dance (OCMD). Mr. Freeman’s vision is to create a global performing arts program, “A world music and dance space.”
According to the press release, at the moment, “Orange County Music & Dance (OCMD), a non-profit community music and dance school in Irvine, offers the highest quality artistic education, performing arts training and musical experiences for aspiring artists of all ages. Working with young disadvantaged children, under served adults and military veterans, OCMD inspires students to explore instrumental music, recording and sound engineering as well as singing and vocal expression. Its endowed scholarship program provides opportunities for all children regardless of financial circumstances.
OCMD is also a Steinway Select School, the only such designation for a nonprofit organization in Orange County, and a Lang Lang International Music Foundation partner, providing students grades 3-6 free piano lessons in Title One Schools. OCMD is part of The Collaborative, a partnership of three nonprofits: OCMD, Pretend City Children’s Museum and The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. Doug Freeman helped bring the organizations together to create a pioneering project on a unified campus that maximizes sustainable building and landscapes.”
On May 8, 2024, OCMD and “the City of Irvine celebrated the groundbreaking and “Great Park Development Open House” at the Cultural Terrace at Irvine’s Great Park. According to the press release, “the location will be the new home to OCMD’s state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot campus and 15,000 square foot performing arts center, allowing OCMD to double its headcount to more than 500 K-12 students and veterans per week with arts education and performance programs.”
“Nurturing and inspiring our students is at the epicenter of our work. When students come to Orange County Music and Dance, we see their journey from reluctant and tentative beginner to a confident young artist and capable adult, positively impacting their brain development, life skills, and self-esteem,” said Douglas Freeman, Executive Chair and CEO of Orange County Music & Dance.
“The new building is a place where our students can feel safe, secure, and inspired and is accessible regardless of financial circumstances.”
“We founded OCMD to help encourage students to dream bigger and unlock their greatest potential,” continued Charlie Zhang, OCMD Founder and Chairman. “The new OCMD campus will help ensure the fulfillment of musical dreams and life goals for the next generations to come.”
Founded in 2017, OCMD offers the education, training and performance opportunities for K-12 students and veterans, with an endowed scholarship program that ensures that children who want to attend can do so, regardless of their financial circumstances. More notable, nearly 40% of OCMD students receive financial aid and, per the OCMD leadership, over the next few years, OCMD will increase its endowment from $3.6 million to $5 million, significantly increasing the number of students who will be able to participate.
Vivienne Follman-Otta, student of OCMD, says, “OCMD has forever changed my life. Ever since I had started taking classes and lessons in the voice program with my mom, I have found my voice. Now, I love to sing and perform; I love to work hard at it. And I am now going to achieve my dreams because of OCMD.”
It is well established that music and dance are critical to community connections and resilience. Under the climate of current world events, now more than ever, there is a deep need for a performing arts place that is dedicated to nurture, inspire, and empower the children of not only Orange County but beyond to achieve their dreams and provide a path for them to follow their passions. Orange County Music and Dance is perfectly positioned to be just such a space.
