Boosting confidence among goals of North Las Vegas dance camp

Barefoot young people ages 6-19 eagerly scurried onto a slick, grey dance floor on a recent Monday. They were all smiling and chatting until instructor Tyrell “Mr. T” Rolle called out a five-count for them to get into position.

As music rang through the speakers in the dance studio, the students peered at themselves in a large mirror and began to move fluidly.

The students practice dance styles including jazz, ballet, hip-hop, acro tumbling and acting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at Studio 305, 3251 W. Craig Road, during the studio’s six-week R.A.G.E. Intensive Summer Camp. The camp costs $150 a week (with a $25 registration fee), but Rolle said at least 75 percent of the participants are on a low-income partial scholarship. He called it the cheapest summer dance program in North Las Vegas.

“It’s not about the money for me, because these kids need it,” Rolle said.

Rolle, a Cirque du Soleil dancer for four years, opened Studio 305 (Home of the Rolle Project) about a year ago. He said he’s still working to get the program financially stable, and that making it affordable for children is his main focus.

Rolle has received help from parents, one of whom donated $1,000 to the nonprofit dance organization and another of whom provided transportation to get students to and from camp at a discounted rate ($50 per week). A grandparent comes in every Friday to volunteer, and Rolle received three high school interns from the Summer Business Institute to assist with daily operations. He also has brought in Cirque du Soleil choreographers/performers such as Justin Bryant from “Michael Jackson One” and other instructors such as Royce Reed (who owns Fantashique dance company) for “little to nothing” to teach his students, Rolle said.

He said the group does several fundraisers throughout the year, with the most recent being a fireworks stand. The studio was donated a second building in the same parking lot — which is about 4,000 square feet — for the summer so it can house more students, Rolle said.

About 35 students are in the camp, about the same as last year. Rolle said the scholarship program makes this possible.

“If it weren’t for this (camp), I would be sitting at home and getting fatter,” 15-year-old Josue Caldron joked. This is his first year participating, although he has taken classes with Rolle at other studios. “I’m just told to push myself every day more and more.”

Nadia Roberts, 16, learned about the camp from her dance teacher at Del Sol High School. It’s her first year participating. She is also on the scholarship program and uses the transportation service, which picks her up from her southwest valley home. She said her parents can’t take her because she has a sister who participates in another sport about the same time.

“Everybody is so nice and all of the teachers are really good,” Roberts said. “I think that I definitely improved, especially in hip-hop. Every teacher pushes you to do better, and they teach you new things.”

Rolle provides an early drop-off at 7:30 a.m. and late pickup at 5 p.m. Students are also provided breakfast, beginning at 8 a.m., and lunch, beginning at noon.

Students are also given a creative-writing session and journal time to “keep them thinking,” Rolle said.

Rolle’s younger sister, Chancey Wilson, went from participating to teaching this summer. She said it has helped her beyond the dance floor.

“It’s helped me gain my confidence again. I was a little self-conscious after I had him,” the 18-year-old said as she pointed to her nearly 1-year-old son A’Lejen. “I’ve (also) improved on dancing and people skills. I got better with my patience and lost weight.”

Trevor Taylor of North Las Vegas said he started attending the camp after seeing how much his younger sister enjoyed it. He lives across the street from the studio.

“I like because I get to spend time with my little sister (who is 9) more during the summer and I get more time with dancing,” he said.

The studio also holds spring break and winter camps. The fall season begins Aug. 21, and those ages 6-19 can register for classes starting at $50 a month or take part in the competitive team, which costs about $200.

“Everyone around me just boosts my confidence and they are basically my second family,” 11-year-old LeeAsia Smith said.

For more information on Studio 305’s summer camp, visit rolleproject.org.

Contact Kailyn Brown at kbrown@viewnews.com or 702-387-5233. Follow @kailynhype on Twitter.