by MARITES CARINO

You'd think the prospect of buck-a-class dance sessions for children would have parents scrambling to sign up, but that wasn't the case when Steph Felkai tried to get her Inner City Dance Project off the ground last fall. Felkai initiated the program, she says, "primarily for kids of low-income communities whose families wouldn't be able to afford dance lessons," but had a hard time getting the word out at first. Lately things are looking up.

The value of dance for children is something close to heart for Felkai, who started taking lessons herself at the age of five. As the mother of a 17-month-old, she's also aware that costs put the experience out of reach for many families. It was the desire to provide the same experience for her daughter Ruby that spurred her to start the project.

After four months in operation, parental feedback for the program has been encouraging. "When people believe in something, it works," she says. "It doesn't have to have government support, but it has to have community support." This is something she learned through community work she did at Santropol Roulant. "That was a real eye-opener for me," she recalls. "I saw the power of volunteers there."

Harnessing her benevolent energy, Felkai has grouped together an enthusiastic team of volunteer teachers, who offer four-week sessions of different styles, ranging from tap to swing, in a temporary spot in the St. James Church basement (463 Ste-Catherine W.). At the moment, she's almost breaking even (though the program's mandate isn't about profit, of course) and a community centre in Little Burgundy may provide a permanent home down the road. "I hope this thing lasts long enough so that Ruby can take advantage of it," she muses. Interested parents or volunteers can call 270-5892 for info.