TROY Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Thursday the International Day of Dance was celebrated around the world and in Troy, Alabama

Patti Rutland Simpson has a 41-year career teaching dance. By founding two dance studios in Dothan, Alabama, Simpson aims to display the importance of the arts in education and to celebrate diversity through creative expression.

“I’ve always said when you invest in children in the arts, you’ll never know the reward because children dance before they walk,” Simpson said. “Children love music before they talk, so, it’s conducive for a better learning environment and the children are exercising knowing what the arts are all about.”

Simpson utilized outreach programs funded by the Pike County Board of Education to send her dance teachers to local elementary schools. The goal was to teach students the importance of art and how to dance. Those same students got the chance to perform on the field of Veterans Memorial Stadium.

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“I just love that some of them catch on so quickly with it, they’ve never had it before but you can see that light spark in them that they want to dance,” said Patti Rutland Jazz Performance Team Director for Christina Servone.

For 12-year-old Brooks Taylor, dancing on the field was more than a performance, it was a chance to display his talent.

“My favorite part of the dance was probably ‘Perm,’ my duo,” Taylor said. “I liked it because the audience was really excited to do the dance. One thing I really liked was how everybody contributed to the dances.”

Simpson’s message has always been that dance is for everybody. Simpson believes that we’re not all the same, but can find community and unity through dance.