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Jim Young / Reuters
Samara Almanza (C) is assisted by (L-R) Aneesha Suresh, Aditi Bhatt, Dr. Citlali Lopez-Ortiz and Kaitlyn Pasquinelli during a dance class for children with movement disabilities in Evanston, Illinois, March 25, 2012.
By Jim Young, Reuters: I found out about the program, “Ballet Class for Kids with Movement Disabilities”, while flipping through a brochure as I waited for my daughter at her ballet class.
Jim Young / Reuters
Sophia Jablonski is assisted during the dance class for children with movement disabilities.
I contacted the instructor Dr. Citlali Lopez-Ortiz, who has a Ph.D in Kinesiology and a Masters in Dance, to see if I could photograph the weekly class. A week later she said the parents and instructors agreed and I could join them on Sunday.
I met eight-year-old Samara Almanza, who was dressed perfectly in all pink; tutu, tights, ballet shoes and all.
She was all smiles as I introduced myself to her and her father. He has to hold her to keep her upright but says she loves the class and anxiously looks forward to it every week. Her grandmother arrived and was overjoyed to see her. The class uses a group setting so the children can be with their peers and use ballet as a creative outlet as they move; blending it with physical rehabilitation to improve posture and motor control, and by using live piano music to facilitate the movement.
Jim Young / Reuters
Samara Almanza is assisted during the dance class.
Samara was helped into class by 4 instructors, one holding her head; the others helping to move her limbs to simulate walking.
Jim Young / Reuters
Jessie Sanchez (C) works with foam balls as part of her dance class for children with movement disabilities.
It was a very energetic and physical class with constant interaction between the instructors and the students. Each child has two assistants and Lopez-Ortiz moved from child to child to ensure the proper technique and to motivate the class.
The children all have varying degrees of Cerebral Palsy but one thing is clear; there is a love of the class by the students and by the volunteers too. The class ended with them practicing their bows in the mirror. Laughing and smiling, its was just like watching my own daughter out there.
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Jim Young / Reuters
Samara Almanza (C) is helped with her stretching by Kaitlyn Pasquinelli (L) and Ilana Feld during the dance class.
Leave a Comment:
That's... just cruel.
Interesting that you should say that. I once had a ( profoundly ) cerebral palsied friend with whom I had many long discussions. He said that he was acutely aware that many people saw him as brainless ( he drooled, he was virtually un-understandable in his speech, and his motions were extremely disjointed ), and that sometimes he parlayed that perception to his advantage. At the same time, he was ongoingly the recipient of some of the most callous cruelties.....I could scarcely imagine what he went through. If you see this program as cruel----well, these things are relative.
Indeed Daniel, kids with disabilities enjoying rare movement in an activity that would normally be withheld from them, how very cruel to be provided with the experience.
are you kidding?
That is a kind of sympathy but not true empathy and for you it's resulted in a judgement that I believe is erroneous. I hope you agree true Cruelty is about how it feel to the person impacted, not to outside observers. Hear me out.
You need to crawl into other people's shoes and imagine what life is like for them in order to truly empathize. You see kids who can't move much being moved and it rubs you the wrong way somehow so you think the CHILDREN are being treated cruelly. Maybe it is just you that is uncomfotable?
Imagine being a child who is cognitively normal or nearly so, but cannot move their body like most other kids. You can't on your on walk, run, stretch, dance...some can't feed self, hold up head, swallow...you can't write maybe you can't talk. But you are NORMAL inside just your body doesn't work right.
It is most little girl's dreams to be in a ballet costume. Such little girls as above don't even get to do everyday things we all take for granted. It is a dream come true for them to get to take this class. Look at the delight on their faces. It says they LOVE IT>
it makes me feel you are just uncomfortable with seeing them...otherwise why'd you judges something as cruel if the people who it's aimed at so enjoy it?!
Human beings are wired to move to music. Helping them do it must feel great. And to be dressed up for ballet class like a balerina is something loved by many if not most little girls...I myself was thrilled for them that there is this class.
Be careful not to make it about yourself...it's about them.
i think this story is beautiful and hooray for the instructor and volunteers who make it a possibility and thank you to the writer/photographer for sharing it with us . these children must feel so beautiful in their pink tutus and slippers, as any child taking a ballet class would whether they have a disability or not. they are in a class setting with their peers which i would think would help them feel included and not so different from everyone else. the music and dance i would think would be very soothing and therapeutic and i think the students would feel very special to have so many people there helping them experience it. all around sounds like an amazing program!
I LOVE IT that they have them dress up fully even with a tutu and their hair up, with flower (often no tutu in regular class).
i am sure they feel pretty and included and special...totally agree with your post. They can't do as much physically as most other kids, so glad for them
Okay, this is obviously a very beautiful story. Daniel Sloan, let this story on this class be therapy for you also. Your reaction to it is an indicator that you should seek counseling. I'm very serious about that.
please explain, not clear what you objected to.
Very sweet. I'm glad those kids have the opportunity to participate in the dance class.
This is amazing, I wish they had something like this for my daughter to do! I will look into it for sure! For anyone who doesn't understand what it is like to have a kid with special needs and thinks these awesome programs taught by very special and blessed people, is curel... SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!
To see the smiles on Sophia and Samara - Wonderful!! This class is enabling them to do something they appear to enjoy and to look forward to each week. At the same time, it's helping with their stretching and movement therapies which they don't see it as that -- they just see it as fun -- to dance and be with friends.
The stretching and various therapies which are ongoing daily probably at home -- that may hurt more in that that's what the concentration would be on. The dancing helps to distract them from the therapies and the bonus for everyone -- they have all the appearances of totally having a fun time and being dressed in their ballet outfits just like other little girls. In that class -- they aren't 'different'.
My heart goes out to these instructors for they are a blessing to these special kids. Just being dressed in their ballet costumes has got to be such a thrill for them and whatever movement they can bring out of these kids, then so much the better. There is an old saying that "half a loaf is better than none",so let them bring out whatever they can in these special kids. A smile would be enough to melt me down to a dot in the sand. To those heartless human beings out there, watch out because often times things come home to roost. Keep up the great work instructors!
As a forner professional ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada, I think this is a great program.
Very beautiful story and pictures. What a wonderful experience for these beautiful young girls. Wonderful work by the doctor/instructor and her talented staff.