Dancing Wheels Workshop 'An Amazing Opportunity'

Sixteen children stretched, moved, and spun — some while standing and some while seated in wheelchairs — during a dance workshop at Easterseals Rehabilitation Center Monday evening, April 6. Oglebay Institute's School of Dance brought Sara-Lawrence Sucato and Craig "Lil Craig of 2Reels" Sams of The Dancing Wheels Company in Cleveland to conduct the workshop. This is the second year it was held at Easterseals in Wheeling.

While Sara led the children in standing movements, she also translated, or adapted, the dance for seated participants. Those moves were demonstrated by Lil Craig, who uses a wheelchair. Some upper body movements were the same. When standing dancers hopped, however, seated dancers struck their thighs with the palms of their hands. When standing dancers pirouetted, seated dancers spun themselves around or a helper spun them.

"I really thought it was wonderful, and I loved seeing the kids get to experience different ways of dancing, especially using the chair and seeing the differences versus being standing," Ray Kendall of Bellaire said after the program, in which his 12-year-old daughter Bella participated.

Bella had the chance to dance standing and seated in a wheelchair, and she said she'd like to experience seated dancing more often. 

"I really think it's nice for them to come and showcase how you can be standing and sitting, and they can both combine together, standing and sitting. It's an amazing opportunity," said Amie Riethmiller of Martins Ferry, whose 10-year-old daughter Arya Green participated. Arya thought using the unfamiliar wheelchair was "scary."

The second half of the workshop involved small groups of two to three dancers traveling the length of the Easterseals Community Room while performing movements demonstrated by Sara and Lil Craig. Standing and seated dancers sometimes achieved synchronous movement that was visually appealing to onlookers.

Lil Craig said he joined Dancing Wheels about six years ago, and it was a dream come true.

He told local CBS affiliate WTRF-TV 7: “I didn’t know anyone who knew how to translate, I didn’t know anyone who knew how to integrate the two body types together. Then Dancing Wheels came into the picture and here we are, we’re able to learn a lot and teach others to embody these types of art.”

Jen Sayre, whose 8-year-old daughter Julia uses a wheelchair and 12-year-old daughter Jillian does not, said they both enjoyed it. They perform award-winning dance duets every summer in a local talent show organized by the Arc of Ohio in St. Clairsville. They plan to incorporate some of the integrated dance moves they learned Monday night in their new routine.

"It was just a very beautiful workshop. We look forward to it every year," Sayre said.

The workshop is a partnership between OI School of Dance and Easterseals, with funding from the Rosemary Front Foundation providing scholarships for children to participate.

It is the organizers' hope to continue offering the workshop annually.