Life & Work with Egypt & Jasmyn Dudley of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Egypt & Jasmyn Dudley.

Hi Egypt & Jasmyn , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a dancer and performer my whole life. (Egypt) So in 2007 when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, (Jasmyn) my dreams of having a “perfect ballerina” were already etched in my mind. I didn’t know my daughter had down syndrome until after she was born and thus the canvas that I imagined her to be, was then painted a little differently. I prayed, adjusted and embraced only to get a beautiful and an amazing daughter, beyond what I could have ever imagine.

Naturally, when she turned 3, I enrolled her in the same dance school were I taught and had done for years. Unfortunately she wasn’t received as hoped. As her language hadn’t quite developed and she was slightly delayed compared to the other students, yet there was something about her on the stage that was so organic. It didn’t matter if she went left when everyone went right, she was in an element of her own – pure joy.

That moment sparked a vision. In 2016 we launched a performing arts program for special needs youth. What started with 10 students quickly grow to over 50 (and counting). For the last 10 years as Special Talents Entirety Program (S.T.E.P.) we have served the community through dance to students with exceptionalities. All races and all spectrums, our students, families and volunteers get to share in the joy of dance, music, community and belongingness. Beyond just weekly classes, we also speak and host educational workshops to promote inclusion, awareness and empathy throughout the schools.

Jasmyn just graduated from high school (c/o 2026) and is college bound come July. She was the only special needs student in her high school’s performing arts magnet program history and even danced a solo in front of hundreds of people. In all, she’s a true testament of never let others opinions become your reality.

So what’s our story? Just a mother daughter who grabbed a speaker and started dancing. We invited a few cool kids with different abilities and a decade later – we’re still grooving.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
That’s the thing about alignment …. because we are walking in our purpose, the journey has been overall smooth and fruitful. Along the way, we admittedly met a few obstacles such as adjusting to the needs of our students and discovering new teaching methods to truly reach everyone. Being transparent – an unfortunate hurdle is that there are some who prey upon this community and have tried to attach to our program for personal and financial gains. I’ve found discernment and trusting my team has been the best resolve.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in dance, music and movement for special need youth.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people would be surprised to know that while it may appear that the student are the ones who “need” and enjoy our classes; however, it’s us who enjoys sharing our world even more.

Pricing:

• All classes are free of charge

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eachstepmatters
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STEPmatters/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/eachstepmatters