Observations of How We Got

Here, How It Got Started (Why Is It Important) and Where We May Go

           While I was preparing to write this manuscript, I went through many old books and articles on movement and dance. I came across myself quoted in “Dancing – A Guide for the Dancer You Can Be” written by Ellen Jacob over three decades ago. The Education of the Handicapped Act of 1986 had not yet been enacted. The Individuals with Advisability Education Act (IDEA) was not until 1990. In the late 1970's, I had not even begun to work with children let alone those with disabilities. I had not worked at Lincoln Center Institute or taught at major institutions or even performed on major stages. Ms. Jacob and I were both still young. We were friends and she was preparing to write her first book. We were chatting and she asked me in an off-handed sort of way, “What is a dancer, anyway?” She writes how she expected me to chuckle at such an elemental question and was surprised at the seriousness of my reply.

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        “I'm a performer, I get up on a stage, but dance is bigger than that, much bigger. I have seen people break   into tears from dancing, or laugh hysterically, reaching different places in themselves - not because they have technique but because they are somehow able to find expression in movement. I've taught recreational dancers and senior citizens and I've seen them have experiences with movement that are every bit as profound as I can imagine. That to me is dancing, because if you are expressing yourself that deeply, you're dancing; and whether or not it is on stage, to me, is not the point.”

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           Thirty years later, I am in a different field but would probably say the same thing if asked the same question. I believe movement is the ultimate form of expression because man is aware of everything first through his own body. The biggest human experiences, birth, death and sex are body oriented. We cannot even see without our body as a background. We see our nose and cheeks as we look out at the world.

           In these last years, much has changed in the world of educating children, particularly those with special needs. We have mandates, requirements, funding, more special schools and a profound respect for the rights of all children to be educated. But as someone who spends an hour a day with 18-20 children with autism in my movement class, I found myself still asking questions about their education. Because these children have not learned how to move, they remain locked within themselves.

          The children were in good physical health but their movement was restricted, and inflexible. They could not turn their heads freely or lift their arms over their heads to feel the space above them. All the everyday movement skills that the rest of us take for granted, like trunk rotation, bending our knees, going from a round to a straight back, were a challenge. They could not feel their own weight. All functional movement depends on the ability to perceive the weight of your head, trunk and limbs and understanding how much force it takes to control and handle those weights. Thus, the most fundamental element in movement is weight and how you use energy to move your body weight against gravity in space and time. These students had not learned this.

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           When these classes first began, they were an immediate success. I was startled, especially by the middle school population who were less disabled. I expected more resistance because, overall, if you cannot move well you learn to avoid things that involve moving. You get out of doing it any way you can.

           Instead of avoidance, I have been met with a quiet, daily willingness. We have been extremely sensitive to introducing material slowly, giving them things that they can do and praising them for their successes. The music adds to a positive mood. No new child has been allowed to enter class unless they are prepared first. In this way, we can guarantee their success and increase in self-esteem. All assistants participate; I call out corrections to them like everyone else. The child figures out that if their role model can make a mistake it must be OK for them to do so as well. I have concluded that most of these children could have felt better about movement in the first place by simple acts like these.

           This class and this curriculum are dedicated to improving the movement behavior among children with disabilities. It is my belief  that, in every school, movement classes should start at a very early age and that children with disabilities need and have a right to this part of their education as much as any other basic learning experience. I believe this would have a profound effect on their ability to function effectively in school, home and in their community. There is no magic in the activities presented here. But there is power in the knowledge and understanding of why and how we move  and in our commitment  to help children who have been unable to develop normal movement skills themselves.

           Some things just take time to process. I have been told that I am “flying by the seat of my pants.” That is probably true. It was not difficult to work with the children but it was difficult to understand them. It is easier today. We have come a certain distance. This curriculum is a work in progress. I hope it is helpful to those who read it and that it will foster continuous learning and an appreciation for the individual potential of children with special needs.