There’s a new dance move sweeping the nation.
It’s called “The Sammy-Lammy.” The cross-step move, something between flossing and the Electric Slide, was a moment of choreographic genius by Cuyahoga Falls second grader Sam Lovell.
Sam was put on the spot to come up with his new trademarked dance move by Erica Piper, the artistic director of local nonprofit ArtSparks , during a recent dance class at Silver Lake Elementary.
Art Sparks is one of 35 organizations receiving a total of $60,200 in grants this year through the Millennium Fund for Children , a partnership of the Akron Beacon Journal and the Akron Community Foundation. Since the Millennium Fund launched in 1999, it has distributed more than $1 million in grants to local groups that benefit children in the region.
“The program fosters social and emotional learning, physical wellness, and an appreciation for dance, music, and the visual arts,” ArtSparks wrote in its grant application.
The high-energy classes have students constantly on the move, while also practicing skills like waiting their turn, listening and learning from their peers and expressing themselves through dance.