A video from a dance competitors in Hartford final week has gone viral. The video reveals a dance coach hugging a gaggle of dancers after accepting an award, however not hugging the one Black pupil within the group.
The dance studio known as Dance Xpressions and is positioned in Plainville.
Melissa Breglia is the mom of 6-year-old Shaniah, the dancer who was disregarded of the hug.
“[The coach] gave everybody else a hug except for Shaniah,” Breglia stated. “Shaniah came up to me, and said, mommy, how come [the coach] didn’t give me a hug? She hugged everybody else. She said, ‘mommy, I did all my moves, I smiled the whole time…and I didn’t get a hug, but they did.’”
Breglia stated she approached the dance coach in a dressing room after the incident.
“I went up to [her] and said, ‘how dare you? How dare you make my child feel less than?’ She instantly stiffened up and said, ‘I didn’t do anything, why are you yelling at me?’ I said, ‘you had her standing on the stage alone. She leaned in to hug you, and you side stepped her.’ She said, ‘I didn’t do that. I didn’t do anything to her.’”
After the competitors, Breglia stated she frightened she had overreacted, till one other viewers member despatched her a video of the interplay on stage.
Breglia posted it to her TikTok, and it has been considered greater than 4 million occasions.
“Afterwards I really thought that I was overreacting in what I saw, until I saw the video and realized everything I’m feeling is valid, and everything my daughter is feeling is valid,” Breglia stated.
NBC Connecticut
NBC Connecticut
Breglia stated her daughters have been faraway from this system.
“I got a letter…dismissing my child, my children, from the program. That I had been aggressive with staff,” she stated. “At no point in time was there a conversation about your actions, an apology towards my daughter, there was no acknowledgement that anything was wrong.”
“I would like her held accountable. I would like to make sure that other children don’t go through the same thing,” Breglia continued.
She stated her video has reached folks all around the world. Whereas they now search for a brand new dance studio, she stated her household is grateful for the outpouring of assist.
“This has reached globally. I’ve had folks from Australia, Germany, UK, Ghana attain out to me, and simply say, please hug that little woman and inform her that you’ve assist, you have got those who need to provide you with a hug,” Breglia stated.
