By: Isaiah S. Showell, Follow South Jersey Multimedia Journalist/’What’s Good’ Host
CAMDEN, N.J. — Endeneasia Darden calls the Mastery Charter High School dancing troupe the Dancing Warriors. Darden began her journey at Mastery as a math teacher but she felt God redirecting her path to start teaching dance and she listened and invested time and resources in creating the dance company.
Six Flags Great Adventure hosts a dance festival on May 3 and 4 and the Dance Warriors raised enough money to participate. However, they learned that a teacher needed money to cover surgery costs, so the kids decided to donate their money to her and are now trying to rebuild their money to go to Six Flags.
Darden believes they will get to go to Six Flags to perform and also believes that people will begin to invest in the kids.
“I want to be able to bless them,” said Darden. “I just want them to have fun, they look like they’re having so much fun when they’re dancing they’re smiling, they’re giving attitude, they’re giving face, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Even though Darden claims she’s not a morning person, she still comes to work being joyful and jolly and she says it’s all because of her students.
Delia Maldonado a senior at Mastery says the energy that Darden exudes help with her personal confidence.
“Her energy is there,” said Maldonado. “It’s good energy and you gain more confidence.”
Dance at Mastery is even helping Shynice Griffin get over some fears, saying dance made her better.
“Being on stage I’m not as scared as I was the first time,” said Griffin. “It kind of built my confidence a little bit.”
The Dancing Warriors need to buy their tickets by April 26 for all the members and chaperones to be able to participate in the dance festival, and the Warriors take any and every donation they can get their hands on.
Go visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/make-six-flags-dance-festival-possible to donate what you can to send the youth of Mastery Charter High School to Six Flags to represent the city of Camden and South Jersey as a whole. The goal is $1800, and they believe they will reach it, especially with South Jersey’s help, and that would definitely be What’s Good in South Jersey this week!
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