When third-grader Jerry Moyle showed up one day at his Albuquerque elementary school gymnasium, he was expecting a game of dodgeball. Instead, Moyle encountered an enthusiastic NDI New Mexico dance instructor and a musician seated at a piano. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is kind of cool,’” said Moyle, now 25 years old.“
“From there, my love of dance just snowballed,” Moyle said. “I had so much fun every time we danced, and especially when we were able to perform in front of an audience. Dancing made me feel like somebody – like I was really being seen as the person I was.”
Moyle said that school was challenging for him as a child. He had a hard time focusing on his classwork, was overrun with energy, and found it difficult forming friendships. “Social situations just felt tricky for me, even as a young person,” he said. “I just had a hard time reading the room, so to speak. But when I discovered NDI New Mexico, none of that mattered. I felt no judgement there. It was all about laughing, having fun and learning.”
A natural dancer but a shy individual, Moyle screwed up his courage in the sixth grade to ask an NDI New Mexico instructor if he could audition for the Super Wonderful Advanced Team. He was, of course, welcomed to the program, and his progression as a dancer, student and individual blossomed from there. He remained with NDI New Mexico until his freshman year in high school. “At that point, I felt I had to really focus on my academics, which is also something I learned through my time with NDI New Mexico.”
In addition to gaining confidence in new skills, burning off his ample energy and gaining confidence, Moyle added that the sense of community at NDI New Mexico was instrumental in his personal growth. “I am the first to admit I was a handful as a kid,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to be goofy and have fun.”
“The staff at NDI New Mexico was so caring and supportive, yet they also understood how to help me channel my energy in a productive way.”
“I also formed a lot of close friendships with other kids who had similar issues. We all felt like we fit in at NDI New Mexico, even if we didn’t always feel we fit in elsewhere.”
After graduating from high school, Moyle enrolled at the University of New Mexico as a math and computer science major. “Honestly, I really struggled with motivation. Computers just weren’t a passion for me,” he said.
After taking a break from college, he re-enrolled, majoring in psychology, which he finds more rewarding. “I’m working and going to school, so it’s a little exhausting, but I know how to stay organized and focused, which are skills I strengthened through NDI New Mexico. I know how to be responsible but also enjoy myself.”
Moyle said that NDI New Mexico also helped him tap into his creative abilities beyond dance. “I discovered what it was to not only be a dancer but to be an artist through NDI New Mexico,” he said. A natural singer, Moyle has been a member of University of New Mexico’s a cappella group, Something Major A Cappella, for the past six years. “I just love singing,” said. “It’s so much fun and I thank NDI New Mexico for giving me the confidence to pursue it.”