By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

On a beautiful June Friday, parents packed into a small dance studio inside the Alabama School of Fine Arts, eager to catch a glimpse of what their children had accomplished during the week.

The weather was mild by Alabama standards, offering a welcome break from the sweltering summer heat. Inside, excitement filled the room as dancers ranging from preschool age to high school students prepared to take the floor. Clad in black dance attire, the young performers represented a variety of backgrounds, united by a shared passion for movement and creativity.

For many, the showcase was the culmination of five intensive days of learning during the 13th Annual Summer Dance Workshop, hosted June 8-12 by The Files Arts Project (TFAP).

For founder and Birmingham native Kat Files, however, the week represented something even greater: an ongoing commitment to investing in the city that helped shape her career.

“This was a full week, and it’s just about exposure,” Files said. “Sometimes a lot of dancers take one style very often, but they don’t get other styles. We wanted this week to just be jam-packed with all of the techniques.”

Throughout the showcase, students demonstrated skills learned in ballet, contemporary jazz, West African dance and hip-hop. The performances reflected not only technical growth but also the confidence that comes from trying something new.

The workshop served students across three age groups, ranging from age 4 through high school. Each day began with ballet or contemporary classes designed to prepare dancers physically before they moved into a schedule packed with multiple classes, seminars and hands-on learning opportunities.

“We had three different levels,” Files explained. “Each level started with either a ballet or contemporary class to get the body warmed up. They would have two to three classes in the morning, go to lunch and then have classes or a seminar at the end of the day.”

Real-World Preparation

But the workshop extended far beyond dance technique.

Participants also attended seminars focused on the realities of working as a professional artist. Files’ brother, Christian Files, led a Business of Being an Artist session, while her older brother, Dr. Royce Files, taught Music for Dancers. Students also participated in a Healthy Artist seminar led by Dr. Faith Caldwell.

“It was very important for us to also incorporate lifestyle and life skills into their physical dance techniques during the week,” Files said.

Older students were given another valuable opportunity through a mock audition experience designed to mirror professional dance auditions.

“We really wanted them to understand what it’s like to audition,” Files said. “They had their numbers. They had to learn different styles and show us on the spot.”

That real-world preparation is a hallmark of TFAP’s mission, which has focused on providing meaningful arts education opportunities to Birmingham youth for more than a decade.

This year’s workshop carried special significance because every teaching artist was a returning instructor. Professional artists traveled from New York City, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, Virginia and Milwaukee to participate, while several Birmingham natives returned home to teach the next generation.

Among the faculty were De’Anthony Vaughan, Eryn Cade, Alisa Gregory, Rivkins Christopher, Dr. Royce Files, Christian Files and Dr. Faith Caldwell, alongside a team of Birmingham-based interns and volunteers. The reunion-like atmosphere created a sense of continuity and community that resonated throughout the week.

“Every person who is teaching this year has been here from the beginning, has come multiple times to Birmingham to teach and have showed up,” Files said. “That kind of return-to-home feeling was very important this year. It felt like an alumni reunion.”

Connection to Birmingham

For Files, who now lives in New York, returning to Birmingham each summer remains deeply personal.

“This is home,” she said. “I say New York is my home away from home. I’m a Birmingham native, born and raised. I’m a graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, so it’s like I’m coming back to my stomping grounds.”

That connection to Birmingham continues to fuel the program’s growth.

“Every time I come home, I feel so welcomed. I feel so encouraged,” Files said. “There’s no place that supports you like your hometown. I would not have been able to get this far in the project without the support of different institutions in the city, council members, schools, theaters — you name it. That’s how we are where we are 13 years later.”

This year’s workshop was made possible in part through a major grant from the International Association of Blacks in Dance, the largest grant TFAP has received to date. The funding supported teaching artists and enabled the organization to continue offering affordable access to high-quality arts education.

Looking ahead, Files has an ambitious vision for the organization. However, continued growth will depend on community support.

“We need funders. We need donors. We need sponsors,” she said. “We have many big plans for the future, but in order to do those plans and do them at a fee that is not overly expensive — either free or very little cost — we need support.”

As parents applauded and dancers took their final bows Friday afternoon, the impact of that support was already visible. What began 13 years ago as a vision to provide artistic opportunities for Birmingham youth has evolved into a nationally connected program that continues to bring professional artists back home, creating pathways for the city’s next generation of dancers one summer at a time.

Learn more about The Files Art Project at thefilesartsproject.com.