Dance Mobility hosted an Adapted Ballroom Dance Competition for dancers who have disabilities.
Dance Mobility is an organization that teaches people with disabilities how to dance. Cheryl Angelelli, a co-founder of Dance Mobility, is a Paralympic medalist. Another co-founder, Evan Mountain, is the co-owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Angelelli is an achieved dancer. She ranked 7th place in the world for wheelchair ballroom dancing in wheelchairs. She had a chance to travel overseas to join competition. However, not many families can afford to do so. Angelelli founded the organization, hoping to provide more opportunities for dancers with disabilities to compete without going abroad.
“Even though the dancers have always been very welcoming at other competitions where we’re competing against able-bodied, standing couples, it’s just different,” Angelelli said.
Eve Dahl, a 14-year-old girl with a disability, travelled 7 hours to attend the competition. Dahl and her family think it is well worth the trip. She has Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. She started lyrical dancing since she was 5 years old and started ballroom dancing 3 years ago. Dahl just loves to dance!
“I’ve really never had an opportunity to dance in an environment that’s suited for somebody like me — I’ve always been dancing with able-bodied people — so I’m excited that I’m going to be able to find people who know how to direct me and adapt,” Dahl said. “It’s that kind of special environment that’s curated for you.”
Dancers and their families are hoping this is just the start of more ballroom dancing competition opportunities for dancers in the U.S.A.
Links:
https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2022/07/23/1112009359/dancers-hope-this-adapted-ballroom-competition-is-the-first-of-many-in-the-u-s
https://www.dancemobility.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteogenesis_imperfecta
Dance Mobility is an organization that teaches people with disabilities how to dance. Cheryl Angelelli, a co-founder of Dance Mobility, is a Paralympic medalist. Another co-founder, Evan Mountain, is the co-owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Angelelli is an achieved dancer. She ranked 7th place in the world for wheelchair ballroom dancing in wheelchairs. She had a chance to travel overseas to join competition. However, not many families can afford to do so. Angelelli founded the organization, hoping to provide more opportunities for dancers with disabilities to compete without going abroad.
“Even though the dancers have always been very welcoming at other competitions where we’re competing against able-bodied, standing couples, it’s just different,” Angelelli said.
Eve Dahl, a 14-year-old girl with a disability, travelled 7 hours to attend the competition. Dahl and her family think it is well worth the trip. She has Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. She started lyrical dancing since she was 5 years old and started ballroom dancing 3 years ago. Dahl just loves to dance!
“I’ve really never had an opportunity to dance in an environment that’s suited for somebody like me — I’ve always been dancing with able-bodied people — so I’m excited that I’m going to be able to find people who know how to direct me and adapt,” Dahl said. “It’s that kind of special environment that’s curated for you.”
Dancers and their families are hoping this is just the start of more ballroom dancing competition opportunities for dancers in the U.S.A.
Links:
https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2022/07/23/1112009359/dancers-hope-this-adapted-ballroom-competition-is-the-first-of-many-in-the-u-s
https://www.dancemobility.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteogenesis_imperfecta
