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Follow on Google News | ![]() Program for Maryland's Disabled is Reason to Dance!Special needs students, including the wheelchair bound, will soon have the opportunity to enjoy "DanceAbility" classes in a wide range of Baltimore metro locations.
What parents are saying: Devenchi Arnold brings his daughter Avi all the way from Lansdowne to the Dundalk studio because there have been no programs in his area of town. "My daughter loves the program and talks about coming here all week," Arnold says. Other parents like Patty Lamb of Dundalk bring her special needs daughter to the program because other dance studios told her, "if her daughter didn't fit in she wouldn't be allowed to stay and there would be no refunds." "Here no one judges you," Lamb says. "Here everyone fits in." Youth and adults with a wide variety of disabilities, including non-ambulatory, will now have the opportunity to enjoy "DanceAbility" Unlike sport and social programs, dance and arts programs for the disabled are few and far between in the Baltimore area. Consequently, parents and students have responded enthusiastically, and are reaping the physical, social, and emotional benefits. Even rarer are dance classes for those in wheelchairs and walkers; B'moreAbilities is the only facility in Maryland to offer non-ambulatory dance instruction. Regardless of the range of disability, all participants can choose from classes in social dance, as well as jazz, hip hop, and ballet classes that conclude with a proud performance for family and friends. Whether challenged with mobility limitations, developmental delays, Down Syndrome, Autism, Aspergers sensory processing disorders, vision and hearing impairments, or a range of other conditions -- all find common creative expression as they explore a variety of dance styles under skillful instruction. And while they're having fun, parents observe improvements in energy, attitude, attentiveness, strength, flexibility, coordination, and social interaction. Older students and adults with disabilities are also very responsive to dance, and appreciate this rare opportunity to continue their artistic pursuits and interaction with peers beyond school and into adulthood. Free trial classes are offered to anyone wishing to try out a class, and financial aid options are available to ensure that no one who wishes to dance gets turned away. Members of the press are invited to observe any class. In addition, demonstrations can be given on a studio set. About B'MoreAbilities Special Arts Center, LLC. B'moreAbilities Special Arts Center, LLC, began as Maryland Danceabilities, and grew out of Ms. Robinson-Budreski's passion for dance and her desire to enrich the lives of her two special needs children with a strong foundation in the arts. Originally a professional contemporary ballet dancer in Colorado, her career changed direction with the birth of her two disabled sons. She is dedicated to using the arts to heal, motivate, and inspire those with special needs. End
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