Fulbright American Scholar Visit to 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital with her Egyptian Students

Shawn Renee Lent, AY2012-2013 U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Egypt, completed a four-month lecturing grant from September 1, 2012 to January 1, 2013. During her grant, she was affiliated with the Egyptian Academy of Arts’ High Institute of Ballet and volunteered at the 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt as a dance teaching artist.  At the Academy of Arts, High Institute of Ballet, Shawn lectured and taught modern jazz for Years 7-9 and offered workshops on the role of dance in education and healthcare.  In addition, she volunteered at 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt as a dance teaching artist, providing dancing sessions for the young out-patients awaiting their treatment, the teen peer support group, and the teen sleep away camp at the Health and Hope Oasis in Wadi Natrun. This past December, Shawn led  a one-day event at the 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital that was her dream when she first came to Egypt, but Shawn’s dream came true when she succeeded in bringing together the faculty and students of the Academy of the Arts’ High Institute of Ballet and the world of 57357.  In her words, in portrayal of her feelings about the experience, she said “Beyond just the joy of the patients, what I loved about being here in Cairo is that these dancers and parents get it, both at 57357 and at the High Institute of Ballet. Dance is so important for kids to get to know their bodies, to relate to other children.