Montessori Center School teacher Derrick Curtis is known and loved in the Santa Barbara community for his dedication to teaching youths the power of movement and dance, having served as a longtime dance instructor, recreational therapist and physical education teacher.
With what started as an ingrown toenail, and after eight months of agonizing pain, Curtis’ active lifestyle came to a halt when he ultimately had to have his leg amputated from the knee down, he told Noozhawk.
After learning of Curtis’ need for surgery and a prosthetic leg, local community members rallied together to raise money to help cover the costs.
“Curtis is one of those dancers that sort of defies gravity. It’s such a tragic thing to happen to have his major talent and life’s work taken away,” Daniel Bollag, organizer of the GoFundMe donation drive, told Noozhawk. “He’s affected a lot of people in Santa Barbara, and the whole town has come out to support him.”
The GoFundMe account had an initial goal of $50,000, and in about a week since it launched, more than 260 community members had raised more than $36,600 as of Saturday evening. The fundraising goal since has been raised to $70,000.
“I get a little emotional thinking about it. I’m not used to asking for help,” Curtis said as he wiped away tears of gratitude. “It’s been amazing watching how the GoFundMe started, how it has evolved and to see that it’s still going.”
Curtis’ colleague Mikki Jee floated around the idea of starting a GoFundMe when she heard of Curtis’ surgery, and Bollag immediately assisted in creating the account, Bollag said.
“Santa Barbara is a special place because of people like Derrick. He enriches our lives and gives our kids something to strive for,” Bollag said. “I felt like this was the least we could do to show some reciprocity.”
Over his years, Curtis has been a recreational therapist at Cottage Hospital, taught ballroom dance programs at Santa Barbara City College, served on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance and is the production director of BASSH, an annual community dance showcase.
“I always felt that it would be nice for the community to see the dancers perform and dressed up in all the glitz and the glamour,” Curtis said. “For me, it was just a matter of bringing all the dance community together and spotlighting them on the stage.”
Curtis also created Santa Barbara’s Stomp Out Tobacco Swing Nights with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to create an outdoor smoke-free environment that promotes dancing and live music. He also co-teaches, with his wife, an ongoing youth dance program at La Cumbre Junior High School, and he has choreographed routines for Santa Barbara Youth Theatre.
“I had this passion for dance in college, and I just saw the power of movement as a therapy. I think that was the lightning rod that really got me going,” Curtis said. “I tend to focus on teenagers because there’s such a big lack of confidence at that age. It was my mission to try and instill confidence with teenagers through dance.”
In 2009, Curtis was the recipient of the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to dance in Santa Barbara.
Curtis underwent surgery on Feb. 1 and has since been moved to rehabilitation. The recovery process is expected to take up to three months, Curtis said.
“As a recreational therapist, there are always ways that you can enjoy life; it’s just a matter of adjusting and adapting,” Curtis said. “I have a disability, but I know I can function. I am still going to live the life that I want to live.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
