The Power of Dance
After watching the Memphis Rollin’ Grizzlies wheelchair basketball video in class the other day, I of course wished I could have gone attend one of their games live in person. Due to the current reality of our times right now, with Covid-19 and social distancing, that was not an option, well at least not for this neuro-note. So, I started to mull over what I would write about for this neuro-note. Having a degree in Modern Dance as well as having taught dance and adaptive physical education and just being a lover of all types of movement, the wheels in my head started to spin. Well Dance of course! I thought… I wonder if there are any dance companies or dancers out there that dance using their wheelchair. So, in my search I put in the words (dance after a spinal cord injury) and wow was I pleasantly surprised with the information I found. There are so many heart touching and inspiring stories of people who danced prior to their spinal cord injury and their passion for dance helped them to keep going so they could once again dance. There were also stories of people who did not have a background in dance but were introduced after having a spinal cord injury or for some living most of their life having to use a wheelchair but not meeting dance till later. Dance opened a way of possibility for all of these people that was powerful and fulfilling. I will leave a list of some of my favorite websites at the bottom. There was one website I found called, (spinalcordinjuryzone.com) It is a website with many links to stories pertaining to wheelchair dancing. There are some really great stories from a Paralympic swimmer turned Para competitive dancer. A story of a senior in high school who had a SCI then was on a Sundance Channel show called “Push Girls”, who then started her own dance company and later co-authored a book called Push Girl. A wonderful story of a father who rekindled his love for dance in order to dance with his daughter at her wedding. Really just so many wonderful stories. David kept looking over me wondering what I was reading and watching.
But there was one story that I really connected with. As a modern dancer, also sometimes referred to as contemporary dance, this story was right up my alley. It is a story about two dancers, one who dances in a wheelchair and one who does not. They met at a workshop put on by Vertigo Dance Company. It was a contact improv workshop for dancers of all abilities held in Israel. It was on the third day of this workshop that Hai Cohen and Tali Wertheim-Agronionik met. They had an instant connection and their meeting led to their further exploration of the collaboration of dancers of all abilities, some in wheelchairs some not. They began to host many workshops in Israel and abroad. This led to many performances of varying sizes, large and small with dancers of all ages, genders, and varying abilities. The name of the company that Hai and Tali co- direct is called, Vertigo: Power of Balance. What I love about this story is the beautiful artistry that comes from all involved. The power of the nonverbal language of dance and the spontaneity and true aliveness that comes from improv. And what I feel is most wonderful is that their curiosity and creativity led to include, inspire, heal, and enrich so many others through the power of dance. Please take a few minutes to check out the short video clip of: Power of Balance/Vertigo. You can find the link below as well as on the main page of my blog. Also check out some of the websites I have listed of the other inspiring stories of dancers who overcame fear only to find a new self-worth and desire to live through dance. And maybe it might just ignite a spark for you to explore what dance can do for you - your body, brain, and spirit.
Steinberg, J. (2018, July 12). Integrated dance gives those with disabilities an equal opportunity. Times of Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Vertigo Dance Company. (2019, December 1). The Power of Balance|Vertigo [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlSsFvbqQQ4
Comments
Post a Comment