Prince William is giving back in more ways than one during his and Kate Middleton’s visit to NYC this week. The royal gave his number to a young man after watching his “incredible” performance at the educational center The Door in NYC on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The Door has teamed up with the CityKids foundation, which provides support to disadvantaged adolescents.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 32, visited the center after paying their respects at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan. At the center, they watched young men and women perform a 25-minute hip-hop-style dance and musical performance. One man’s talent, in particular, caught Prince William’s attention.
A source tells Us that Prince George’s dad was so “impressed” with Steven Prescod’s “powerful, moving show” about his father’s incarceration, that he offered to help take the young man’s story to the world stage. Prescod, 22, was taken aback by the warm response, later explaining his conversation with the Brit. “William said he wanted to help me put this together. He gave me his contact number and said to reach out to him. They brought hope to me,” he said. “I had a low period in my life and never in a million years did I expect I would be performing for the Duke and Duchess.”
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The royal couple also complimented the rest of the performances. “That was incredible, guys. It was amazing and should be on in the West End. When’s your next performance?” Prince William said of the entire group. According to The Door’s Julie Shapiro, he was “really impressed with the young people and that they showed great confidence.”
Duchess Catherine was just as supportive. “She made me feel that wherever you come from you should not let that determine who you’re going to be,” dancer Daniella Auggosto, 19, said. “We can be what we want to be. It makes you feel like you are going in the right direction.”
Laurie Meadoff, chief executive founder of CityKids, was equally impressed with the royal couple’s down-to-earth charm. “All the young people, and the staff, were blown away by their authenticity,” she said. Destiny Carter Brown, 15, also noted that Kate had the presence of First Lady Michelle Obama. “It’s hard to explain but they just had it,” she said.
Prince William told the crowd that he had just visited the White House and met Jay Z and Beyonce at the Cavaliers vs. Nets game Monday night. But not even sitting courtside could compare to The Door performances. “[It] was worth twice the price of the tickets for the Barclays Center,” Prescod recalled him saying.
