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Jillian Fortney (right), a junior at Berkeley Springs High School, and other members of the high school dance team paint the new dance class at the high school as part of Fortney’s Girl Scout Gold Award “Moving for Teen Mental Health” project. Photo by Holly McCumbee
By Kate Evans
Jillian Fortney, a Berkeley Springs High School junior, created a dance and mindfulness movement class at Berkeley Springs High School for the Girl Scout Gold Award “Moving for Teen Mental Health” project. Forney is spreading information about adolescent mental health and ways for young people to cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is equivalent to the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Project. Fortney has been a Girl Scout for 12 years.
Fortney has been a dancer for 11 years and has been taking dance for three years at Berkeley Springs High School with high school dance teacher Holly McCumby. Fortney and the high school dance team raised just under $8,000 for the dance class through the Cacapon State Park Color Walk, making and selling T-shirts and donations from local organizations.
Fortney said all of the money will go toward the dance floor — flooring, paint, barrettes, mirrors and other dance and movement equipment, McCumbie said. The Lions Club is paying for the barrettes and the glasses will be installed next week.
The high school dance team painted the dance floor and Fortney, McCumbie, Fortney’s mother, father and grandfather and Kelly Smith laid the new Harlequin vinyl tile for the dance floor.
Movement as balance
Fortney says she has a diagnosed anxiety disorder and that focused movement and flow are her biggest selling points. She dances, runs track, reads and does yoga and paints as a flow type.
Fortney draws people’s shoes on Instagram Small Business Joggers by Jillian.
These activities help Fortney with her panic attacks and anxiety levels and keep her emotions in balance, she said. She always feels very calm and happy. Focusing is also known as flow, and it’s being fully immersed in your movement and at peace, Fortney said in a speech to the school board about her work.
Mental health statistics
High school students with mental health problems are more than twice as likely to drop out.
“Untreated mental health disorders can disrupt sleep, energy levels, concentration, interests, and generally make normal functioning difficult,” Fortney said.
“Teenagers with better mental and emotional health have better physical health, have fewer relationship problems and are less likely to abuse substances as adults,” she says.
Most mental health challenges emerge during the teenage years, Fortney said. One in five American teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 suffers from at least one type of mental health disorder. More than 2.5 million young people in America have major depression.
Forney said she is passionate about dance and movement.
“I believe that dance, art and movement are for everyone. This class will give more students the opportunity to dance and move around in a safe and well-equipped classroom, while also giving them tools to improve their mental health, Fortney added.
Berkeley Springs High School offers extracurricular activities that include dance, choir, band and the arts along with many sports and clubs. Fortney said she wanted to share with her peers what helped her cope with stress and break the stigma of mental health disorders.
Dance program
Holly McCumbe is in her 18th year teaching dance at Berkeley Springs High School. She teaches many dance steps along with health and driver safety education. McCumbee has 42 dance students this year.
The first-grade class allows students to try many types of dance, such as jazz, ballet, tap, ballroom, swing, line dance, hip hop and modern dance, McCumbee said.
A high level dance class allows students to study independently in any dance genre of their choice.
After attending wrestling classes for many years, McCumbe was thrilled to have her own class for dance and movement instruction last year. She is a big fan of the Fortney project. McCumbee said it would greatly enhance their dance department and make it a dream come true.
McCumbe hopes to organize dance classes and movement workshops with community instructors in yoga, Zumba, Tai Chi and hula hopping. She wants to buy some swinging mats for acrobatics and acro-dance, a new dance genre.
“The kids love it,” McCumbee said.
After the dance floor mirrors are installed, Fortney accepts the Girl Scout Gold Award for her project and gives her final report. Fortney said she is thrilled that dance and mental health are being shared throughout our community and will continue to do so.
School Board Vice President Pete Gordon said he is grateful for Fortney’s community service project and her efforts to give back to the community. School board member John Rowland said Fortney’s teenage mental health statistics were compelling.
Schools Superintendent Christine Tuttle said Forney is a great role model for students.
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