Dancing with the Stars
I had a really pleasant evening. I volunteered at a dance for disabled adults held at a recreation center in Burbank. The dances occur on a regular basis; about 100 or so folks, ages 20s - 60s, were there. Unlike most dance club places, the lights were on full blast and people were out on the dance floor immediately and un-selfconciously. The level of energy in the room was quite high while tunes like "YMCA" and "I Will Survive" were played by the D.J. Middle-aged and older parents sat against the wall, chatted with each other, and smiled at their children. Some of the clients were really getting down…
I boogied mostly with a woman in a wheelchair, P, and her friends B, K, and R, all older ladies. A lot of times it wasn’t immediately noticeable what the disability was. As an example, I had not introduced myself to the volunteer coordinator until late into the night. She told me she had been looking at me and wondering "Is she one of mine?", meaning volunteers. I found myself looking at people and wondering the same. I think a majority of the folks there had downs syndrome or some form of autism. I was really touched by how B. took me under her wing and introduced me to people. She was very kind. I am not sure if she thought I had a disability (I don’t).
A handsome older gentleman with, I think, an Italian accent, 70ish, was with P. When I asked him how he was related to her, he gushed, "She’s my baby," his daughter. He said P did not like it when he danced with her and that she wanted him to stay against the wall. ("No one puts Baby in a corner!") P appeared to be in her 40s or 50s. She had a ton of energy, more than me. I wasn’t sure if she could speak. Her arms flew around jerkily but happily; she rocked out by shaking her head really fast back and forth. Some of her saliva hit me. I also swing danced (poorly) with a few of the male clients who were pretty aggressive dancers. It was fun to dance with no social pressure around. About 10-15 volunteers helped set up and take down the evening, which began with a pizza and cookie dinner for the clients.
At the end of the night each client got a certificate of participation. P’s father hugged me and said, "Thank you for dancing with my baby." In true volunteer fashion, I felt I got more out of it than her. I got to experience life a little differently.
There will be another dance, which are about two to three hours, for disabled adults in two months. Next week is a prom for blind people. And after that a Senior Prom for people 55+ years. If you want more info about these type of volunteering activiities visit www.laworks.org or email me at unhiplaATgmailDOTcom. They would appreciate your help and dance moves!
