Parenting Tips

January / February 2008

Dancing and Disabilities

By Dr. Leslie Case

Every little girl dreams of being a ballerina.  Children across the world are enthralled by the grace, the music, and the beauty of ballet.  They want nothing more than to wear a pink tutu, and are thrilled when they receive their first pair of ballet slippers.  Ballet classes have become a rite of passage for young girls across the country.

The dream is no different for children with special needs.  The love for ballet and dance is the same.  However, it is less typical for children with disabilities to participate in dance training.  There are several reasons for this exclusion.

Many dance programs are not designed to meet the needs of these children, and may only permit enrollment of children considered to be able-bodied.   Dance training is a vigorous activity, and there may be well-intentioned concerns about the child’s ability to participate.

Ballet techniques are quite standardized, and have existed in a very similar form for hundreds of years.  While there are different styles of ballet in existence, they are based on a very similar set of technical movements.  A child who was unable to perform this precise set of movements may be told that they cannot dance.

Other times, the exclusion is imposed by the child themselves and/or her family.  They may not believe that a child who, for example, cannot use her legs or who has mental retardation, could ever learn to dance.  When the child looks at images of ballerinas, she may see none that look like her.  If she cannot imagine herself dancing, she will not be motivated to try.

However, movement and rhythm are particularly important to children with disabilities.  Research increasingly shows that moving in time to music has important effects on brain development, both for disabled and non-disabled children.  Dance also improves muscle coordination, motor skills, and balance, and can decrease muscle tension and stress.  Participating in dance training offers positive interpersonal interaction, and can lead to increased self-confidence and self-awareness.  Most importantly, dance is fun!

In recent years, dance programs are increasingly working to fill this important need.  Some traditional dance studios are admitting students with mild special needs into their classes.  Other studios have developed specialized programs, designed specifically to be inclusive of dancers with varying abilities and disabilities.  Even the homogeneous discipline of ballet is changing.  For instance, classic ballet techniques have been developed specifically for dancers in wheelchairs.  These techniques mimic the alignment and technique of classical ballet, but the primary focus is the arms, head, shoulders, and torso rather than the feet.

Furthermore, both traditional and modern dance companies are becoming more inclusive of dancers with varying types of abilities and disabilities.  For instance, there are several performance companies across the country using dancers in wheelchairs.

The Tampa Bay area has both dance classes and performance opportunities available to dancers with disabilities.  Dancing does not have to be just a dream.  Everyone can enjoy the art of dance, and experience the joy and fun.

Authors Note:  Dr. Case is the director of the Dance of the Phoenix program at Tampa Dancenter.  The philosophy of Dance of the Phoenix is that everyone can dance, regardless of his or her age, gender, ability level, or body type.  The program is designed to be welcoming to people of various abilities and disabilities.  Dr. Case is certified in the AIM movement technique,, and has received training in wheelchair ballet techniques.

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