Anyone Can Dance!

February 21, 2019

They say that dance is a universal language, an expression of the heart. Everybody has a dance inside of them. But what about a person confined to a wheel chair? Should a disability prevent them from this wonderful release of the soul? “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.” ~Agnes de Mille. Who would better understand the gravity of being deprived of the many wonderful feelings the dancer experiences when they dance than a former professional dancer who is now disabled?

In 1987, former New Orleans Civic Ballet and Washington Ballet dancer, Kitty Lunn, broke her back after slipping on ice and falling down a flight of stairs, resulting in being paralyzed and wheelchair-bound the rest of her life. Lunn spent three years in the hospital completing her physical therapy. It took her a while to accept the fact that she would never be able to walk again. “I had to finally make it okay in my mind, body, and spirit that I couldn’t do all the same things. I was not going to recover or be the way I was before the accident,” stated Lunn. But she was not going to let her disability stop her from doing what she loved. “It wasn’t until my husband asked what was stopping me, that I realized it was only fear.” That’s when she made up her mind that she would dance again! She knew the road ahead would be challenging; however, she was willing to put the work in to continue dancing, even if it wasn’t to the same degree prior to her fall.

“My physical therapists helped me prepare, we set a target date, they had to let me in, the ADA said so.  I took my place at the barre…yes, people stared at me…yes, it was awkward…but once the music began to play…I knew I was home…I would be ok. What happened to me was an accident…this is a choice.”

Photo Credit: https://www.infinitydance.com/photo.html

It was devastating to Lunn upon her return to class, not because of her new physical limitations, but the judgements from the teachers and other dancers. They didn’t believe what she was doing was considered dance since she was now wheel-chair bound. She had overcome many obstacles to return to the barre and when she finally did, she was dismissed and was looked down upon. That led her to opening her own company that welcomed dancers of differing abilities.

In 1995, Kitty Lunn opened a non-traditional dance company that offered classes that would integrate dancers of all capabilities; disabled or not. The school is “committed to expanding the boundaries of dance by featuring dancers with and without disabilities.” Its goal is to help abolish the discrimination of dancers with differing abilities and diminish the stigma of physically disabled dancers.

Photo Credit:
https://www.dance-teacher.com/

The Infinity Dance Theater strives to teach to its dancers’ strengths rather than alienating the ones who might not be physically able to complete certain dance movements. Infinity Dance Theater’s mission is to, “achieve parity in the world of dance while maintaining high standards of artistic quality. The company aims to inspire people with and without disabilities, encourage their artistic and other professional aspirations, and empower them through the organization’s educational and performance programs.”

Its ensemble performs around the country and internationally as well. They have performed in the Paralympiad in 1996 and various other dance festivals. The school prides itself in converting ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary techniques to suit its wheelchair-bound dancers. Check out the videos below to see some of their performances!