As Midvalley Elementary’s fifth-grade students clapped, stomped and leaped their way across the floor as part of Ballet West’s year-end I CAN DO performance Wednesday night, they smiled and beamed – and so did the audience.

The fifth-graders participated with students from other 11 other schools who attended weekly practices for seven months to prepare for the performance. This is the first year that a Canyons District school has participated in Ballet West’s Inspiring Children About Not Dropping Out (I CAN DO) outreach program.

The program aims to inspire children to stay in school while also teaching them confidence and discipline through dance and movement. Ballet West reaches some 100,000 students a year through programs like I CAN DO, said Peter Christie, Ballet West Director of Educational Programs.

“The support you show these kids is the best thing they have going for them,” Christie told the audience. “Don’t ever give up.”

Students from each school who had good attitudes, worked hard, and showed great improvement were chosen to participate in I CAN DO’s Dream Team. Those students can choose to continue to participate in the program on their own in grades 6-9 as part of the Celebration tTeam. Several students from Midvalley Elementary also received full scholarships to attend the prestigious Ballet West Academy.