“I think Independence Center is yet another one of St. Louis’ hidden jewels,” said Arnold Donald. “And if me embarrassing myself by pretending to know how to dance is all I have to do … then I’m in.”
Arnold is the new president and CEO of the Executive Leadership Council, based in the Washington, D.C. area, though he has remained a St. Louis resident throughout several executive leadership positions hubbed elsewhere.
Donald is going dancing with some of St. Louis’ other most influential citizens at the Four Seasons on Saturday, Feb. 5 in an event that will raise funds and awareness for Independence Center, an organization and facility that provides comprehensive assistance for people with severe mental illness.
It’s Dancing with The St. Louis Stars, and it also will include James Castellano, chairman of the board of Rubin Brown LLP; Stephanie Riven, former executive director of COCA, now with David Bury and Associates, and Craig D. Schnuck, chairman of the Executive Committee, Schnuck Markets.
Those who visit the organization’s website, www.independencecenter.org/dancing, can vote an eighth couple to the floor now through December 31.
“I do intend to win the judges’ favor,” Donald said, laughing. “But it’s not about that, it’s really about raising money for an organization that’s providing a needed service in a world-class way.”
This coming April the organization will mark 30 years of community service.
“It’s really cool because it’s a way to eradicate the stigma,” said Lynn Huselmann, director of development for the Independence Center.
“People come to the event and watch the St. Louis celebrities dance, and they watch the member that’s a dancer, and they realize that people with mental illness are just like everybody else.”
Michelle Tibbs, who has been a member of the Independence Center since 2008, plans to offer Donald and the rest of the lineup some stiff competition.
“I really found a community where I feel needed, wanted and accepted, and I’m expected to be here,” Tibbs said. “I’ve really grown in the last two years when I was asked to be the member dancer, I felt honored – It’s a great honor to have been selected, and I’m representing the whole independence center.”
Tibbs said she has been living with Bi-Polar Affective Disorder for the last 20 years, but has moved beyond the stigma she imposed on herself as well as the one imposed on her by others. Now she is in a place of recovery and pride. So much so that she has decided to incorporate BAD, the acronym for her illness, into her performance of rumba and tango to the Michael Jackson classic of the same title.
“I’m going to say, ‘Who’s BAD? I’m BAD!’” Tibbs said.
Tibbs was delightfully excited (and a little nervous) as she talked about her dancing debut.
But she seemed fearless about introducing herself to the world as one of the many faces of mental illness. That wasn’t always the case, especially when she was first diagnosed 20 years ago.
“I felt very ashamed of my illness, and I had an inner stigma,” Tibbs said. “I graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in psychology, but I was ashamed of my degree and I didn’t value it and I didn’t value myself. The Independence Center helped me value myself.”
Upon entry, The Independence Center is full of seemingly ordinary people with smiles on their faces carrying out a host of tasks and services – as employees and customers.
There is a credit union where members help other members with their banking needs. There’s a kitchen where members serve members hot meals. There’s an office area and even a fitness center and exercise studio – where Tibbs has been rehearsing the first phase of her dance … the walk.
Throughout the building, the staff and the members work together in a seamless stream of teamwork to keep the wheels turning.
“It creates an environment where people can help themselves with job training and placement,” Donald said of the center.
“The staff works with employers who recognized what they deal with and they are working with individuals – offering training and reinforcement for them to be successful. Through the Independence Center they are given life skills, a place to apply those skills and an environment where there are people with similar issues who offer support.”
These days Tibbs earns her living as someone who helps others work towards getting to the same place. She also serves as a motivational speaker and mental illness advocate.
“We have to fight that stigma so mental illness can be on the same level as any other illness of the body. The body has different parts, and the body parts malfunction,” Tibbs said.
“I wouldn’t go to an employer and say, ‘I have diabetes, will you hire me please?’ They will say, ‘Are you taking medication? What does you having diabetes have to do with you performing your job?’ But if I say, ‘I have Bi-polar Affective Disorder,’ immediately the questions will pop up – ‘Are you going to freak out on the job?’ – and I’m likely not to be hired.”
Mike Keller, executive director of Independence Center, believes events like Dancing with The St. Louis Stars will open a door on severe mental illness.
“A lid of secrecy comes down on that,” Keller said.
“But we found in recruiting board members and in recruiting dancers that you may think that you’re talking to a local celebrity and they say, ‘I want you to know I understand – my favorite aunt, my cousin is schizophrenic.’”
The stars are very down to earth when it comes to the mission of the center.
“This happens over and over again,” Keller said.
“It’s not as far removed from them as many might think. You’d really be surprised at the number of people who are dancing who might say, ‘Hey, this is not other to me.’”
To vote for the 8th Couple to join the lineup of Independence Center’s Dancing
with the St. Louis Stars, individuals can visit
www.independencecenter.org/dancing and vote by December 31.
Dancing with the St. Louis Stars will take place on Saturday, February 5 at The Four Seasons Hotel. For more tickets or more information, call 314-880-5504 or visit www.independencecenter.org.
