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 Special
Students, Special Needs
Three teachers talk about working with children with
disabilities
Tales of Two Girls
By Jenny Griffes
I have had the rewarding experience of working with two
special-needs students during my career as dance director at
the University City YMCA in Charlotte, NC. Anne Robinson, 13,
has danced with me for eight years; Haley Cook, 10, has danced
for four. Teaching these two young ladies often puts the
purpose and meaning of dance education into perspective for
me. I believe that dance should be accessible to any child who
wants to try. I love the opportunity to touch a child’s life
in a positive way through dance. All dance educators know that
teaching dance is about more than just dance. We teach
lifelong skills, and having special-needs children in the
classroom brings that objective into focus.
Haley came to me through the regular registration process at
the Y. Her adoptive mother, Pamela “Jene” Cook, provided a
health history for Haley, and we spoke in advance about how to
best integrate her into the class. Although I did not have
experience teaching special-needs children, I was open to the
opportunity, especially with the added benefit of advice from
my sister, who has a master’s degree in special education.
Born prematurely to a teenage girl who abused drugs during her
pregnancy, Haley arrived at 22 weeks and was given a 1 percent
chance of survival. Her long list of medical conditions, for
which she has undergone 33 brain surgeries, includes traumatic
brain injury, seizures, cerebral palsy, and seven strokes. She
is bipolar (which causes extreme mood swings) and hearing
impaired, and she wears leg braces and has a feeding tube.
Haley is fully integrated into a 6-year-old ballet/tap class
this year. Her mom didn’t ask for special accommodations; she
just wanted to make me aware of Haley’s needs. The first year
we placed her in a 4-year-old class, because that was where
Haley was developmentally. Having a special-needs student in
class has caused no problems for the other students and their
families, who have been warm and accepting. I do not tolerate
cliques in class; we teach students from their first day at
the studio that everyone is a friend. Also, having contact
with someone who has to struggle more than we do makes us all
grateful for our healthy bodies.
Although our studio rules do not allow parents to stay in the
classroom, I made an exception with Haley. Eventually Jene
transitioned to sitting outside the classroom, to be close by
if needed. I have an assistant who works one-on-one with Haley
during class, and Jene comes into class when the assistant is
absent. Having an assistant in the class helps Haley stay
focused and prevents me from diverting all of my attention to
one student so that everyone has a positive experience.
Jene and I were unsure what would happen when we put Haley
onstage, because her moods are unpredictable. But recitals are
Haley’s favorite part of dance and she always dances well and
finds her spot. Even if I don’t think she has been focusing
well during rehearsals, she
knows what to do when she gets onstage. It is a good reminder
to me that children learn in a variety of ways and even if
they do not appear to be focused on the teacher, they may
still be absorbing the information.
Jene says she enrolled Haley in dance with the hope that she
would build muscle and improve her balance. She also wanted to
give her opportunities to interact with other children, learn
to follow directions, and work with a group. Because Haley
thrives in a structured environment, the discipline of dance
is beneficial for her. Jene credits her daughter’s success in
dance class to the YMCA’s routine and family-oriented
environment.
Over the years I have seen improvement in Haley’s ability to
accept direction and follow along with the class. Though her
ability to focus varies, I can usually capture her interest
during stretching and across-the-floor exercises. She has
grown
stronger and her balance has improved. By her third year of
dancing, she no longer needed to wear one of her leg braces.
Jene reports that outside of class Haley is following
directions to some degree and is learning to accept
consequences for inappropriate behavior. Haley says that she
loves her teacher and friends at dance but becomes upset when
she thinks other children are better dancers. Because she does
not understand how to communicate
those feelings, a mood swing often results. Like the other
students, she is given warnings, then a time out; if
necessary, she is removed from the classroom.
Jene and I agreed to be consistent with Haley, who knows that
she could lose her dancing privileges if she doesn’t behave.
If she is struggling with a step or has decided she doesn’t
want to do it, she will fold her arms across
her chest, stomp her foot, and tell me she hates dance and
isn’t coming back. I know that isn’t
coming
from Haley’s heart, so I just tell her I will miss her and
continue with the class. Most of the time Haley will unfold
her arms and try again. Of course, she always comes back.
My other special student, Anne, began taking dance classes at
the YMCA when she was 5. She was an enthusiastic participant
then and remains so today as a
 member
of our performing company, taking
ballet, tap, and jazz. She enjoys the camaraderie with the
other girls in class and is a role model for having a positive
attitude and strong work ethic. We have been careful to teach
the other dancers about respect and support for each other,
and that has created a supportive and nurturing environment
for Anne. Her mother, Carol, says that the fact that the
teachers are willing to work with her has helped Anne be more
willing to work hard to master new movements.
Anne’s motor development is delayed due to side effects from
an experimental drug she took in infancy for an eye tumor.
Although the tumor is gone, residual eye problems affect her
coordination and balance. Carol thought dancing would be a
good complement to her daughter’s physical therapy—the
stretching improves Anne’s mobility, the endurance demands are
reasonable for her, and the movements can easily be adapted to
her capabilities.
Carol explained Anne’s physical limitations from the beginning
and was open to her daughter trying all types of movement.
Anne works very hard in class and doesn’t ask that steps be
modified for her. She tries it all. She also has a strong
knowledge of dance terminology and knows what the movement
should look like and what it means. When choreographing for
Anne’s group I do not make specific accommodations for her,
but I am mindful that she has difficulty getting up from and
down onto the floor. Sometimes this inspires my teaching staff
to be more creative with group work because our goal is to
make every dancer look their best in performance. But if Anne
asks, “Is it OK if I do it this way?” we always say,
“Absolutely!”
As her mother had hoped, dance has led to improvements in
several areas for Anne. Previously flat-footed, her feet now
have arches, which her physical therapist attributes to
pointing and flexing the feet in dance class. Carol says that
her daughter has a better perception of where her feet are and
her sensory integration has improved, along with her
flexibility and mobility. Though some of the movement is
challenging for Anne, she has great musicality and retention
and she learns choreography quickly. She also asks intelligent
questions during class.
The benefits of dance have not all been physical, though.
Dancing has had a major impact on Anne’s self-confidence, and
joy radiates from her face as she dances.
After all these years of teaching special-needs children, I
think the key to doing it successfully is to develop a good
relationship with their parents. I feel I can be honest with
them, and I appreciate their input as well as their devotion
and support. The hardest part of teaching these girls will be
when I have to let them go. They inspire me to keep learning
and to try new things, and they have earned special places in
my heart.
True Commitment
By Julie Smith-Corbett
As the owner of Strut Your Stuff, a performing arts studio in
College Point, NY, I have had the great fortune to be a part
of children’s lives for more than 17 years. That is truly a
gift from above. And although all of my students have touched
me in some way, one of them, Laura Lockman, comes to mind in a
special way.
Laura has been a student at SYS since our doors opened in
September 1990, before she was diagnosed with bipolar disease
at age 8. She, not her parents, chose dance as an activity.
She wanted to take lessons because she loved dance and would
always copy her favorite performers, New Kids on the Block and
Michael Jackson. She is a little different in terms of her
verbal responses and appearance, but her coordination and
memory are excellent. School was difficult for her, and social
settings are also a challenge, but through dance Laura has
found her true happiness.
Laura’s condition went undiagnosed for many years, until after
she began dancing, so we did not have a conference with her
parents when she came to the school. But her mother would sit
in the office during Laura’s classes and often
speak with my mom (then the school secretary) and me. Her
mother never misses a parent observation, and I can count on
both her parents
to be at dress rehearsals, taping the performance and clapping
with enthusiasm for every routine.
Because my studio is small, with a limited number of classes,
I put Laura in a beginner class.
She started with hip-hop, then added tap and lyri cal
two years later. She had four years of physical therapy for
back and neck problems and says that dance has helped her so
much.
Class placement presented some socialization problems for
Laura, but I encouraged her to become a part of her class. I
felt that the students would follow my lead in treating Laura
like any other student. But rather than run the risk of having
her left out when dancers chose partners for across-the-floor
work, I assigned people to work together. Periodically I would
tell them to pick a new partner, introduce themselves, and
make a new friend. Laura would regularly be the last one
chosen, but she quickly earned the other students’ respect
once they realized that she has an incredible memory. She has
always been the “go-to” girl for remembering steps and
combinations. This is the first year I have not taught her,
and I miss her very much. I honestly relied on her memory.
Laura is a dreamer, and she loves coming to the studio every
week with new stories of her adventures and dreams. She loves
to perform, write poetry, and meet stars—she would bring in
photos of herself at a soap opera autograph session or movie
opening. Although I did not want to take time away from class,
I felt we needed to listen to her.
Laura’s enthusiasm for dance has never wavered regardless of
the changes to her class. Season after season she registers,
and little by little the class grows younger as the teen
dancers go on to college. My school has only one dance room,
so as dancers move from the younger level into the teen-level
class, Laura would remain behind; there is no alternative. I
always gave her challenges suitable for her capabilities, but
I do that for all my students.
I have seen definite changes in Laura through the years, not
only as a dance student but as an individual. Much of the
manic behavior we saw in the early years (medication and
maturity have helped her control her emotions) was directed at
her mom, whom she would often rage at after class. I
encouraged Laura to use dance as an outlet for her emotions
and the negative energy brought on by her manic episodes. I
think dance lessened her depression—she found a place where
she belonged and could feel a sense of accomplishment. I tried
to embrace her differences and encourage her natural talents
and warm spirit. By giving her a sense of responsibility, I
hoped that Laura could see what an important part of my class
she was.
My students march in the College Point Memorial Day Parade
each year, and I count on Laura to be there, proudly wearing
her studio jacket. She has taught me what pure commitment is.
Hard times are coming for her with a newfound illness, and I
hope I can reassure her that she will be in my heart and
prayers with the same commitment she has given me. Laura
Lockman is a true inspiration.
A Chance to Dance
By Maria Usher
I began working with special-needs students several years ago.
In addition to owning a dance studio, Maria’s School of Dance
in Fowlerville, MI, I am involved with The Community Theater
of Howell. I choreograph most of their main-stage productions
and the large group numbers for their summer theater camp. As
a result, I have gotten to know many families in the area. One
family has a set of twins, a boy who has appeared in many
performances over the years and a girl who is developmentally
disabled. This delightful young lady’s disability and limited
attention span have prevented her from being cast in any of
the productions.
As a result of conversations with her mother, I decided to
organize a tumbling class at my dance studio for this young
lady and her friends. During the first year four youngsters
with special needs participated in the class. Two years later
we had to cancel our gymnastics program. But we were not
willing to give up on these students, so we added a
ballet/jazz class for children with special needs. Danielle
Wireman, an instructor who has worked for me for more than 10
years and whose unending patience makes her the perfect
teacher for my “baby”
 classes,
enjoys working with these students, along with a volunteer
teaching assistant, Sarah Paternoster, one of my advanced
students. She dances with these students whenever they
perform.
Today the class has grown to six dancers—Melissa Alcott, Tori
Maxfield, Hannah Ockert, Danielle Petchell, Meghan Pydyn, and
Brittany Sleight—who
range in age from 6 to 13. Their disabilities include autism,
cerebral palsy, and Moebius Syndrome. Their parents described
their children’s disabilities to us, gave us ideas on how to
keep them involved, and alerted us about any issues we should
be aware of. The students meet once a week and study both
ballet and jazz. Last year they appeared in our annual recital
and performed a ballet piece. Seeing these dancers finally get
the chance to appear onstage like their brothers and sisters
was so touching that it brought tears to many in the audience.
Then, in 2006, Rebecca Dilworth, a volunteer who coordinates
the entertainment for the annual fund-raiser for ARC of
Livingston County (a nonprofit group that assists people with
special needs) invited my special-needs students to perform.
When we told the children they were going to perform at the
fund-raiser, they were thrilled! After much anticipation, they
danced (with huge smiles) to the holiday song “Let It Snow.”
They danced their little hearts out and received a standing
ovation, helping to make the event a huge success. They have
already been invited to perform at next year’s event.
I began this class to give special-needs students a chance to
enjoy dance and performance as so many other children do. In
the process we discovered that oftentimes they are the ones
who teach us. They touch our hearts each week when they come
into the studio and learn the basic steps that develop into a
fully choreographed dance. As much as any other student, these
children have a true and honest appreciation for dance and
performance. This is made apparent each week when, after
leaving the classroom, they rush to their parents, excited to
demonstrate what they learned that day.
It is my school’s goal to continue to provide a meaningful
dance education and performance experience to all of our
special-needs students. We will continue to research and
discover new and more effective ways to do so.
Photo captions (from top to bottom):
Teacher Jenny Griffes helps Haley strike a pose at the end of
tap class at University City YMCA in Charlotte, NC. Photo by
Jene Cook.
Anne Robinson (center), Christina Beckworth, and Claire Penuel
practice the ending of
Stock Market Crash
for University City YMCA’s dance recital. Photo by Jenny
Griffes.
Longtime Strut Your Stuff student Laura Lockman has a true
commitment to dance. Photo courtesy Julie Smith-Corbett.
Maria’s School of Dance teacher Danielle Wireman (second from
left) and assistant Sarah Paternoster (far right) join their
students in a skipping exercise. Photo by Scott Usher.
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