“They have been through the most tragic experiences we could fathom,” he said.

One of the students is Fulgence Niyongana, 14.

Fulgence once said he would never dance, but is now a top students in the Dance-IT Program for Street Children in Kigali, Rwanda, according to the company’s website.

The Rwandan dance teachers were afraid Fulgence might end up back on the street, Instead, Fulgence walks an hour-and-a-half from home to attend the program five days a week. He lives with his stepmother, who gives him permission to attend the programs.

“I feel so happy because I made the decision not to go back to the streets as long as you are teaching me dance and IT,” Fulgence said. “Dance changed my life; I feel relaxed and free after dance class. I never thought I would touch a computer. Now, I can even Skype with people around the world.”

Fulgence has new friends, none of whom live on the street. “My friends are those who attend school and dance,” he said.

“Once Fulgence leaves home, his stepmother calls me and once he leaves RDDC class, I call his stepmother,” said his teacher, Eugene Dushime. “Then, when he arrives at home, his stepmother calls me again. This is how Fulgence has become protected against street life.”

Dushime is the country director for Rebecca Davis Dance Company Rwanda. He is a former contemporary dancer and assists with the program in Guinea as well.

On Baylor’s first trip to Rwanda, he taught students age 15 to 22 — including genocide survivors who had become heads of their households. On his second trip, he taught children ages 6 to 14.

Dance is a vehicle to teach discipline, self esteem, provide routine, and allow street children to express themselves through movement without having to speak about it, Baylor said.

“Every day was amazing being able to share my knowledge,” he said. “They were so eager and hungry to learn. The kids were completely open. Watching them retain the information was probably the most rewarding part. The information I was giving them was actually seeping through as I watched.”

The language barrier was only a problem in the beginning.

“At first it was like a jungle. We couldn’t control them,”Baylor said. “But after they began to understand, it was amazing to see the change. We created pieces of choreography for them.”

Baylor said he knows the teaching has had a lasting influence. He and Davis trained two student teachers to keep the program going.

“I would send them technique DVDs of the modern Horton technique,” he said. “They adapted everything I taught them. I was blown away at what these kids were able to do in so little time. They learned the Horton flat-back series (a warm-up) really fast.”

What did the children learn other than technical dancing?

“They got consistency which is something that’s rare in their lives,” Baylor said. “Consistent training, consistent teaching, consistent love and affection and a consistent support system just for those few weeks while I was there.”

Rwandan culture doesn’t see dance as a profession but the things you learn in a dance class are things you can use in your everyday life, Baylor said. “It’s not just a physical training but an emotional and mental one that allows you to divide and conquer life’s adversities.”

While Baylor was in Rwanda he started a fundraiser — the Lamar Baylor Scholarship Fund. Through Indegogo, he raised $1,625 — enough to put a child through boarding school for a year in Rwanda. The company needs funding.

There are no official statistics on the number of street children in Rwanda, but estimates run in the several thousands, according to RDDC. Children are forced onto the streets because of poverty, domestic abuse, or parental rejection. The child’s mental state switches to one of survival, with energy devoted solely to finding food and a place to sleep. There’s no time or money for education or self-betterment. Street children are illiterate, have no vocational skills, and suffer from a deep sense of worthlessness.

RDDC runs a three-tier program. First, children in post-conflict countries attend dance classes that foster the transformation of aggressive energy into a positive, aesthetic art form. Second, top dance students are invited to go to the RDDC IT Center that teaches a standardized curriculum of MS programs, email, and Google search skills. Third, top students receive RDDC scholarships to attend boarding school, which is the ultimate solution, RDDC says, to breaking the poverty cycle. It provides shelter, nutrition, clothing and education.

The RDDC program runs 365 days a year. It serves about 700 children. About 12 percent go on to boarding school. The goal is to increase that to 100 percent. Its success is limited by resources, Davis said. Funds come from family foundations, Jewish Helping Hand, State Department funding and crowd source funding. College students, dance studios and individuals donate $25 a year, “and that adds up a lot,” Davis said.

Davis said she can see the benefits and developmental changes in people she works with, especially in Rwanda.

Once the students make it to boarding school, they have a safe place to sleep, three meals a day and education. “You know the child will eventually become self sustaining,” Davis said.

The RDDC Program has a proven track record of success in Rwanda. Over time, this model can be adopted by other non-governmental organizations in more countries to tackle the issue of street children on a global scale, Davis said.

To donate to the Rebecca Davis Dance Company’s Dance-IT Program for Street Children, go to Global Giving.