Paula Hocking shares about dance for people with physical or learning difficulties

I am involved with introducing dance to young people in wheelchairs, through workshops, performance and film. My experience with dance as a child was the involvement in Ballet, Tap and pantomime; it was a hobby that I loved. No matter how tired or poorly I felt I'd go to school if I had dance class in the evening because I didn't want to miss it.

Over the last few years I have often thought about the commitment I felt to dance and why it had been so important to me; It was a regular activity that I accepted as part of my life as I accepted going to school; It was a place where I met other kids and enjoyed our common interest; It was a social environment that I enjoyed. I didn't understand the physiological aspect of dance but I always felt better after class and I now recognise the psychological reasons why dance was important to me. Dance was a time and place where I could be in control. Sometimes my home environment was unsteady, Dad was a heavy drinker which left Mum to spend some years as a single parent and perhaps with the way my mind was wired, I would often daydream at school and find it hard to focus but when I danced I had to focus in order for my body to do what it was supposed to do, when I danced, I was fully present.

"Of all the arts, dance is the one that most influences the soul, is divine in its nature, and is the gift of God" - Plato

Dance is a gift that is a mystery and difficult to capture in words, but those who dance know something happens to the human spirit when they move whether in a sacred way or as a social expression of celebration and community. Dance audiences can, depending on the performance content and purpose, experience as with any of the Arts, thought provoking questions to the mind and soul. By many, dance is perceived just as a physically healthy activity but it engages much more than that. Research suggests that the left hemisphere of the brain is predominantly verbal and analytical and that the right hemisphere is non-verbal, intuitive, visual and capable of imagination. Culturally I understand that we are a nation with a majority of left brain users; perhaps this is why there is little value held in the inherited community dance forms rooted in this country in comparison to places like Greece and Israel where family and communities dance together as a natural response to being together. Dance offers an opportunity for the predominantly right brain users to engage, be present, and the left brain user to cultivate creativity. It is noticeable that a large number of people who have Dyslexia are artistic and creative people and also many who have difficulties in learning according to the mainstream have unique visual and creative ability and certainly an enjoyment of it.

Lots of children and young people are privileged enough to get the opportunity to attend dance classes, some having a natural desire, some have parents who enjoyed dancing in their childhood or want to give their kids the opportunity they never had; some kids hate it, some enjoy it, and some are gifted. The response doesn't matter it only matters that the opportunity of the experience is an option.

My son uses a wheelchair for his mobility and so we have met many families who have had children with various disabilities. It's common for families to grieve for their child's natural growing-up experiences and the opportunities that they would have had if their child didn't have physical or learning difficulties. Many times I have heard comments, like "she can't dance", "she would have loved to have danced if.." "He'll never dance...", etc. Hearing people express this when dance had been such a healthy experience in my early years partnered with my growing understanding that dance is much more than a physically aesthetic art form for the elite and dedicated performer I decided to challenge our mindsets and provide an opportunity for young wheelchair users to explore their unique movement vocabulary. In February 2007, they watched dance films and created a fun dance piece. Now many young people who would never have had the opportunity to experience the simple joy of dance can now access regular Inclusive Dance workshops.

It has been more than wonderful to see the response! From a glimmer in one boy's eye to the full extension of another's weak but beautiful arm, each dancer unique and sensitively connecting with other dancers in the space to enjoy the experience of moving together. You meet people on a different level as the dancer sometimes expresses that which is on the inside, which is what essentially the difference between dance and just movement is. There are times of concentration and focus and times of fun! The young people have a keenness to dance with each other and are developing a great sensitivity to each others needs and differences. Watching a young lady with an Attention Deficit Disorder, who never stands still, respond with serenity as she mirrored the movements of a dancer sat in a wheelchair with Cerebral Palsy I pondered the beauty of the exchange, I was reminded of how much we have to learn from each other.

Physical limitations don't stop people engaging with each other because we are so much more than our bodies. It was delightful one Saturday to connect with the excitement of a young man who cannot articulate language but recognised his movements when we all copied them and in doing so acknowledged to him that his being with the group meant that he has something to contribute and his contribution was valued in the creative process and that he helped shape the dance and the group. He was elated, he may be trapped in a body that can't communicate in a way that is easily understood but he is not just his body and he knew he was understood.

I am delighted that this work is happening; I am delighted that it is also attracting young people who don't have any physical and learning difficulties; I am delighted that teachers in training are coming along to learn from these young people.