Moorpark College Dancers Put No-Smoking Message in Motion

Seeking new ways to get the anti-smoking message across to elementary school students, the Moorpark College dance department has devised a visual campaign.

Funded by a $5,000-grant from Ventura County’s Public Health Tobacco Education Program, dancers included the message as part of their circus-themed “Under the Big Top” production held at the college Monday.

After the youngsters watched dancers dressed in lion and clown outfits, the department presented its anti-smoking program.

It was a visual attempt to portray the evils of smoking on the body, said Daniel Berney, the dance department director.

Dancers dressed as a heart and a lung stood in the middle of the stage. As smoke from a cigarette, represented by white sheets, began choking the two organs, a team of firefighters came to the rescue.

Using water, represented by blue sheets, the firefighters doused the cigarette, extinguishing the smoke. The heart and lung were then freed from the ills of tobacco.

“We believe that creative endeavors like this have more of an impact,” said Jeanne Scott, an anti-smoking program administrator for the county. “Children are more susceptible to art than to a classroom lecture.”

Some teachers thought the younger students may not have understood the anti-smoking message, but they said exposing the children to the dangers was a good idea.

“I think every little bit helps,” said Cynthia Beynun, a first-grade teacher at Campus Canyon Elementary School.

Children were also given an anti-smoking flier with statistics about smoking and a coloring assignment on the back.

“Under the Big Top” will also be presented this week at Portola Elementary School in Ventura and Arroyo West Elementary School in Moorpark.

The college also will feature the dance production Friday, Saturday and Sunday in its Studio Theater.

For ticket information, call 378-1485.