Written and photography by Glen Miller
Katherine Simmons, an 18-year-old Medina High School senior, has arthrogryposis — stiffness or constriction in her muscles, joints, tendons or ligaments that restricts normal movement. The teen, who uses a wheelchair, is a student at the Dancing Wheels Company and School, a non-profit organization dedicated to integrating the talents of dancers with and without special needs.
“I always wished I could dance like other kids, but I didn’t think I could until Dancing Wheels taught me that I can do everything a stand-up dancer can do but with my arms,” she says. “I learned that I can do more than I think I can. It has also helped me to make some new friends.”
“This (dancing) has given her a way to communicate with people, something she needs and wants,” says Pamela Simmons, her mother. “It was so touching to see Katherine break beyond the confines of her wheelchair to beautifully, fluidly express herself as she had never been able to before. Once in class, Katherine was hooked.”
The program, located in Cleveland’s Masonic Performance Arts Center, offers an array of weekly classes and workshops for adults and children, ages 2 and older, with and without disabilities.
Dancing Wheels President and Founding Artistic Director Mary Verdi-Fletcher, who was born with spina bifida, played a key role in helping to create the program.
She wants for people with special needs to have the opportunity to pursue their goals on an equal ground with peers. Verdi-Fletcher’s determination to dance ultimately led her to create the dance company in 1980 and the school 10 years later.
“In the last five years, I’d say we have taught anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 kids a year through our outreach program,” says Emma Parker, dance instructor and school administrator. “We go into school systems and teach anywhere from 100-500 kids in assembly programs.”
Along with professionally trained dancers, each year the company performs nationally and internationally.
“We are an all-inclusive dance studio,” Parker adds.
Learning Together
The Dancing Wheels School, which Verdi-Fletcher says is integrated, includes those from age 2 to their mid-20s.
“Regardless of their age, we find performing gives them confidence, self-reliance and a lot more,” Parker says.
Learning to dance and perform has given Julia Sankovic, 15, the confidence to become a drummer with the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School band. Julie, who has cerebral palsy, plays with her drum attached to her wheelchair.
Teresah Schuschu, 16, joined the school four years ago at one of Dancing Wheels’ annual summer camps.
“It’s given me more of an open mind and made me realize there are more opportunities for me than I ever imagined,” says Schuschu, who dances with her other classmates who use wheelchairs.
“We don’t like to say they are here as a helper or assistant; they are here as a peer dancer,” Parker explains.
Students are not referred to as wheelchair dancers, rather “sit-down” dancers who dance alongside “stand-up” dancers. Sit-down dancers learn to “translate” moves done by stand-up student dancers. They use their arms to represent a leg movement by a stand-up dancer, while a 360-degree turn of a wheelchair represents the twirl of stand-up dancer.
Each student learns to translate movement based on their own physical capability, Parker says.
The students perform with company dancers at two major annual performances.
One, “Lasting Legacy,” was performed at Cleveland’s Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square in October. The show celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Throughout the year, Parker says children and young adults enrolled in the school also perform in area nursing homes and other venues.
Alexandra Martinez, 19, of South Euclid, says Dancing Wheels has enabled her to move beyond her spina bifida by making her more self-confident. Using translation, she participated in high school musicals prior to her graduation.
“All of our students have found ways to use what they have learned here at Dancing Wheels and go beyond dancing to become independent and self-reliant,” Parker says. “We want them to know they are allowed to go places and do other things. Too often they grow up hearing, ‘No, you can’t do that’ from people.”
Parker and Verdi-Fletcher say Dancing Wheels looks at people, not their disabilities.
“Sometimes I never know or ask what their disability is because I don’t need to know,” Parker says. “I only want to know how I can help them move better and improve their motor skills, and be a good performer.”
