Dancing has always come naturally to Ximena Roman, a senior soldier at The Salvation Army Queens Temple Corps Community Center in Queens, New York. Passing that gift on to others, however, took some getting used to.

(Photos/Courtesy of The Salvation Army Queens Temple Corps Community Center)

“I was a freshman in high school when I became a dance teacher’s assistant at the corps,” says Roman, now 17. “I didn’t know what to expect. Sometimes if I turned around for a second, the youngest dancers had become distracted and wandered off. But the more time I spent getting to know the students, the better I handled the role.”

Today, Roman continues teaching dance at Queens Temple, while still considering herself a student of the art. Introducing young dancers to the arts and helping them develop their talents never feels like volunteer work to Roman. It feels like second nature. Teaching is ingrained in her, just like dance itself. Like a dancer’s or an athlete’s muscle memory, the instinct to guide and encourage others doesn’t fade.

Discovering the corps through dance

A neighbor who had heard of its arts program introduced Roman to the Queens Temple Corps. When 12-year-old Ximena visited the Army for the first time, she didn’t know it was a church and a community within itself. She just wanted a place where she could practice what she loved. At the time, her family couldn’t send her to ballet school. The corps was a local, affordable alternative. Its dance program touched upon different genres, such as jazz, ballet, and contemporary.

Roman grew to love the Queens Temple Corps and started coming to Sunday worship. She became a soldier and joined the Salvation Army GNY (Greater New York) Dance Company.

“Dance was always something I wanted in my life. I was sure of that,” says Roman. “But I wasn’t always sure of my own personal relationship with the Lord. That changed when I stepped into the Salvation Army church. I’m so grateful that my passion for dance brought me closer to God.”

At just 15, Roman was trusted to help teach dance to children at Queens Temple. She leaned on her experience of being the oldest of four siblings to deal with the short attention spans of children from 3 to 6 years old in the “Baby Ballet” class. She also teaches a class for ages 8 and up. These students, who are learning how to socialize with their peers, also get easily distracted.

Being not much older than some of her students can be challenging, but Roman remembers her own time as a preteen dance student. She had teachers who enriched her talents with patience and understanding, molding her into the dancer and teacher she is today.

“I never saw myself as a dance choreographer, but having competed in The Salvation Army Star Search, I know what it’s like to be challenged and take part in that special experience. I want dancers to experience that,” she says.

Roman continues her own dance training in three different locations: Queens Temple, the Army’s Greater New York offices, and the Astoria Dance Center. Now a senior in high school, she also wants to go to college to study psychology. But she hopes that any plans God has for her will somehow still involve both teaching and dancing.

“I don’t think I’d be happy in an office all day,” says Roman. “I want to be on stage, and I want to help guide others to the stage too.”