Kids With Disabilities Get Unforgettable Dance Experience With the NYC Ballet
Pearl Armoza loves music.
The 5-year-old also has a great sense of rhythm. Her mom, Natalia Armoza, always wanted to attend a dance workshop with her daughter, but because Pearl has cerebral palsy, Armoza was hesitant to put her in a situation where she might be subject to stares and unwanted attention. So, Armoza decided to take matters into her own hands.
Armoza decided to email the –>, one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, with a suggestion.
“It would mean so much to my daughter and children like her –>,” Armoza wrote, according to the Upworthy video above. She figured the worst-case scenario was they’d tell her they weren’t interested.
Turns out, the ballet company loved the idea. They –>, Upworthy reported. Maria Kowroski and Adrian Danchig-Waring, the company’s two principal dancers, led the classes.
A cerebral palsy specialist, Joseph Dutkowsky, M.D., attended the workshops as a consultant. He told everyone to take their braces off so they could experience the class completely unrestricted by devices.
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“It just moved me,” Armoza told The Mighty in an email. “This would be a once in a lifetime experience for anyone, and it was even more so for children whose greatest challenge is moving their bodies.”
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“Sometimes we can’t protect our children from stares and comments,” Armoza added. “But at this workshop, they were just kids in a safe and loving environment — happy children engaged in an athletic and joyful activity. No wheelchairs, braces, awkward gaits or curved backs — just a bunch of kids. That’s priceless.”
Armoza also has some advice for all the parents who’d like to find similar programs for their children with special needs.
“If you can’t find it, just ask,” she told The Mighty. “All children, regardless of ability, deserve art, music, dance, culture and, most of all, joy in their lives.”
h/t Daily Life.
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Rachel Kassenbrock is an Associate Editor at The Mighty. She recently graduated from the College of Wooster with a degree in English, and has previously written for the Ms. magazine blog and LifeinLA.com. She now lives in Los Angeles where she enjoys live music, being outside and all things coffee-related. You can follow her at @rkassenbrock or email her at rachel@themighty.com.
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