The beats blaring from the high security unit of the Santa Clara County (Calif.) Juvenile Hall have a ring of rehabilitation to them.  There, in a small, secure concrete area young male offenders dance their way toward a new outlook on life.

The Juvie Jazz dance program gives young offenders in two boys units and one girls unit an opportunity to let loose on the dance floor to the music of rappers like Tupac, 50 Cent and R. Kelly.  At the same time, the juveniles are learning how to follow instructions, work together in a group and build their self-esteem.

"I don't think they are going to be professional dancers, but I want them to see the potential they have to do different things," said program creator and instructor Ehud Krauss.  "[My goal is] to make them better human beings [and] better kids.

Aside from juvenile offenders in Santa Clara County, Krauss, who owns a dance studio in Palo Alto, Calif., teaches dance to juveniles in San Mateo County, Calif. and autistic and handicapped kids in the area. 

"Part of my philosophy is [to] take dance where dance does not exist," Krauss said.

To fulfill this goal, he began teaching dance to juvenile offenders at Santa Clara County's Juvenile Hall 11 years ago.  Among Krauss' students are muderers, arsonists and rapists

"They are very hard kids," he said.  "In the beginning, everyone thought 'Oh my God, they are rough kids.'"

Connecting with the Kids

But Krauss maintains that, despite their serious offenses, they are well-behaved and excited about the hip-hop dance class they participate in twice a week.  He chooses music that they like, typically rap, because it allows him to better connect with them.

"It's very important for the kids to love the music," Krauss said.  "When you teach something that the kids like, it's no problem with discipline, even if they are rough kids," he added.  "The music takes them out of the juvenile hall [and] out of the classroom."

According to Liz Alameda, a supervisor at the Juvenile Hall, an important benefit of the program is that it allows offenders to escape from their problems, even for a brief period of time.

"While they are dancing, they can forget about [their criminal pasts] and they can be a kid," Alameda said.  "It enables them to reach down and find out who they are."

Working Together

Beyond encouraging the kids to get to know themselves better, the program also teaches them how to interact with others.

"When you're in an environment when you have to give, you have to help the kid next to you so that the team gets better, then that's a social skill that we like to see [the juveniles developing]," Alameda said.

To demonstrate teamwork and the dance moves they practice in the Juvie Jazz program, Krauss' students put on shows every few months for the other offenders in Juvenile Hall and staff members. 

"It's to recognize and applaud these kids, even if they did something terrible," Krauss said.  "[The shows are] to encourage them to get involved in something [and start on] a different journey."

Although preparing for the shows can be complicated, because security precautions and additional staff members are necessary, the performances are worth the extra work because they keep the kids interested in the program and give them a goal to strive towards, Krauss said.

"We just create something so the kids can perform," said Krauss.  "The more performances that we do, the more seriously kids take it."

Keeping Kids Interested

Another way Krauss keeps the juveniles interested in the class is by bringing visitors into the class, like college students who are writing papers about the class.

"I have a lot of guests come [into the class] because I want the kids to see that we recognize what they are trying to do," Krauss said.  "I want people to know what they are doing."

But, Krauss also wants the juveniles, themselves, to know what they are doing in dance class, or rather, see what they are doing so they know where they need improvement.  To accomplish this, he often videotapes the kids and plays it for them so they will know which steps they need to work on.

This self-evaluation process has a deeper purpose, too, however.  It shows the juveniles that, if they work at it, they can fix their mistakes on the dance floor and in life, as well.

"[If] you do something wrong, you can make it right," Krauss said.  "It's a process [to] make things better [and] to follow through on yourself."

Building Leaders

Krauss also tries to build the juveniles' character by letting them teach their peers during the class.  A lot of the offenders have learned different types of dance steps from their various cultural backgrounds and they share those with each other.  That is a good way for the juveniles to develop their leadership skills, Krauss said.

It is important for these juveniles to learn how to become leaders because most of them belonged to gangs prior to their incarceration and they are used to following suit with them, he said.

"Most of the kids basically belong to gangs.  They never graduated from middle school or high school.  They joined a gang because they wanted to be part of something," Krauss said.  "We encourage them to be different [and tell them that] they have the right to be different."

And Krauss is committed to continuing to spread his message to juvenile offenders after they are released from incarceration.  He offers scholarships to his dance school to the girls who leave Juvenile Hall and re-enter the community so they can continue to develop their dance skills and grow as individuals.

"[We want them to see that] God put them here for a reason, not just to commit crimes," he said.

Resources:

To learn more about Juvie Jazz contact Krauss at zohardance@aol.com zohardance@aol.com or go to http://www.zohardance.org/