For many year the Club ran the BusyFeet program which was a dance and movement activity for children with intellectual and physical disabilities, aged 6 to 16 years. The participants experienced happiness, and develop more self confidence, through the movement of dance. Unfortunately, for various reasons, the program ceased at the end of the 2022 year.
The dance group met weekly, 4:30 to 5:30pm during the school terms at the Hawthorn Town Hall. BusyFeet catered for disabilities ranging from various degrees of autism, Down Syndrome, profoundly deaf and cerebral palsy. The extreme differences in abilities and concentration levels posed particular challenges for the teachers and the volunteers. As confidence from both sides continued to grow, these difficulties were progressively overcome. BusyFeet programs continue to run in Stonnington, Bayside and Melton.
The BusyFeet Boroondara program was a joint undertaking of the Rotary Club of Canterbury and the Rotary Club of Camberwell. BusyFeet became a Rotary District 9800 Endorsed program in 2015.
A second Busyfeet program commenced in 2018 at Glennalen School.
Volunteers at BusyFeet Boroondara
A volunteer was assigned to assist each dancer for a school term because a child cannot turn up to find a different volunteer each week. This one on one continuity was very important.
Volunteers were always needed to help with:
- One on one dancing with children (no prior experience required)
- Teaching dance steps
- Language / communication e.g. Auslan, LOTE
- Tea, coffee, clean up
- Administration
- Newsletter
- Costume making
Note: All volunteers must have a current Working With Children card. Application forms for WWC card are obtained from Australia Post or Department of Justice at http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/. There is no cost involved.
The BusyFeet program is based on the NSW run program, Danceability Australia.
Contact
The program operated only during school terms on a Wednesday afternoon from 4:30pm at Hawthorn. The preferred age range was children from 6 to 16 years. The program was free.
Jenni Nankervis from Canterbury Rotary was the BusyFeet Program Leader and she had been assisted until the end of 2018 by Josie Tramote from Camberwell Rotary as the Deputy Program Leader.
