NORTHAMPTON — When the music came on at Ascendance Inner World Arts during their “Let the Games Begin” Olympic-themed week on Thursday morning, the group of kids participating found their spot on the dance floor and assumed a laser-focused glare.

Each one listened intently to national-award winning choreographer and Amherst native Jeremy “JROCK” Wheat’s instruction, and as he yelled out “five, six, five-six-seven-eight,” everyone in the room followed Wheat’s break-dancing lead.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for Kathryn Carpenter – the organizer of all of Ascendance’s week-long summer camps – to have Wheat help teach her camp (ages 6-9) considering breaking is in the midst of its Olympic Games debut this year.

The finals are scheduled for Friday afternoon in Paris.

“It’s insane to think that people never considered dance as a sport,” Wheat, who is a Master Instructor at Ascendance, said. “And now, for it to be worldwide, on a global scale, to be considered an Olympic sport at that, it’s awesome. Teaching these kids what breaking is or what hip-hop is, what the culture stands for, we’ve come such a long way. It’s more than just a culture, it’s a style of life – it’s an expression.”

With the Olympics heating up this week, Carpenter said the Games have dominated conversation as the campers walk through the door each day.

On Thursday, they talked about Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis’ new world record, and, of course, the sprinting prowess of Florence’s Gabby Thomas was a hot topic early in the week – especially when they came in on Wednesday after she claimed gold in the 200 meters a day earlier. Carpenter said she nearly fell out of her chair during Thomas’ race in the event finals.

Part of this week’s camp has included making posters, torches and gold medals for the hometown hero Thomas – each youngster in awe that someone from the same city as them has accomplished a feat so remarkable.

It has truly lit a fire for what’s possible.

“For these kids, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. Gabby walked these same streets, she’s been to the same places as us,’” Carpenter said. “It’s the fact that she’s a local, and she’s gone on to do so many amazing things. Now they can see that they could do it too if they work really hard at something. It’s really exciting for them.”

Thomas’ dominance reminded Carpenter of when West Springfield’s Tim Daggett scored a perfect 10 on the high bar to clinch Team USA a gold medal in 1984.

Still clutching onto those vivid memories, it’s helped her appreciate how special Thomas has been throughout these Olympics, driving home that having a gold medalist with local ties is incredibly rare. So rare that the kids at camp will remember it forever – just as she has with Daggett.

And following the conclusion of every race, Thomas can always be seen high-fiving or hugging her competitors. That sportsmanship has rubbed off over the course of the week.

“The older you get, the more you recognize how amazing of an achievement it is,” Carpenter said. “And these athletes pour their heart and soul into their sport, and you see them supporting each other after… These kids have never tried breaking before, so they could choose to not participate, or end up in tears. But they haven’t done that. They’ve really given it their all and have encouraged each other so much.”

With plenty of inspiration from Gabby Thomas still fresh in their mind, each participant’s good spirit and encouraging words helped them become professionals by the end of the session. Wheat led a breaking unit on Tuesday, so between the two days, several of the campers caught on quickly.

Wheat started off slow, and continued to add new moves to the routine once everyone was comfortable. He then asked them if they were ready to go faster, to which he was greeted with an emphatic “YES” by the group of eager dancers in front of him.

“The kids were absolutely amazing, and I honestly can’t believe how fast they picked up things,” Wheat said. “I’m sure most of them aren’t familiar with breaking… I had a really great time with them, and they definitely surpassed my expectations. They were energetic and willing to learn the history of everything. I’m not surprised they were willing to learn, but the fact that they retained all of it was super impressive.”

Other activities during the week included rhythmic gymnastics, improvisation games, Olympic cycling events, BMX riding workshops, yo-yo demonstrations from professionals, other dancing routines and a visit from a member of Northampton High School’s ultimate Frisbee team, Roan Dunkerley, who recently returned from England after playing with the Team USA Junior squad.

Come the end of the day Friday, the 15 campers who signed up for “Let the Games Begin” week at Ascendance Inner World Arts will have learned and tried their hand at just about everything.

And on top of it all, to cap off the Olympic-themed camp, they watched the highlights of Gabby Thomas winning gold in Paris, a moment that will influence them for many years to come.

“There was just a real sense of pride and accomplishment when we watched her up on the big screen,” Carpenter said. “The kids have had a blast making posters and torches for her; they’ve had a lot of fun this week, and they’ve definitely learned a lot about different sports and events.”