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photos courtesy of dance art wheels
ing Like a Star
called Dance Art Wheels - the only one of its kind in the New England area. Marcin and Nicole Leszczynski are the dance directors of Dance Art CT, which incorporates Dance Art Wheels. Marcin, a Polish native, has been dancing and competing in Ballroom and Latin Dancing for 18 years and in wheelchair dancing for 12 years. While living in Poland, he was one of the choreographers of the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars. Nicole, originally from Germany, has been dancing and competing in Ballroom and Latin dancing for 14 years. She has worked with the German Red Cross to organize and teach events for children and adults with mental or physical special needs. Throughout both of their professional teaching careers, they led many amateurs to titles in the dance world, including wheelchair dancing. Wheelchair dancing began in Sweden in 1968, originally for recreation or rehabilitation and grew over the next several years in popularity. The first competition was held in Sweden in the 1970s. The first World Championship was held in Japan in 1998. It has become a well-respected and popular activity with dancers in more
than 40 countries. Nicole says that although wheelchair dancing is a long standing tradition in other parts of the world, it has yet to really catch on in the United States. “We find it’s a cultural thing,” she said. “In Europe, we treat everyone the same whether they are sitting or standing. You will regularly find people in wheelchairs taking classes with non-disabled dancers. No one thinks anything of it - it’s very normal.” When Marcin and Nicole came to the United States a few years ago, they saw a lot of children in wheelchairs and wanted to help. “We are both certified to teach wheelchair dancing,” Nicole said. “When we went through training, we both danced in wheelchairs ourselves. It’s important that we understand exactly how to explain it to our students. The person who is in the chair needs to be able to recognize direction and move themselves. From there, we can show them a lot of possibilities in the world of dance.” Elaina and Deanne drive 45 minutes on the weekends to attend private dance lessons at Dance Art Wheels. Marcin is Elaina’s instructor and dance partner. When Elaina first began lessons, Nicole remembers that
she was very shy. “Her confidence was low, and she wasn’t sure she could do it,” Nicole said. “But she really loves it. After even three or four lessons, she began to develop a dancer’s attitude and confidence. It was amazing to see how she changed.” Elaina participated in her first performance at the end of October of this year for a crowd of over 80 people, including veterans in the Wounded Warrior Project. “I was nervous, but excited! I got to perform the Rumba to a song by my favorite band, One Direction!” she said. “We love that she can dance to her favorite music and really enjoy it,” Nicole said. “People were amazed by her performance. It was very emotional and she received a standing ovation of several minutes. I feel like wheelchair dancing really changes people’s lives for the better.” Dancing is a largely social activity and Nicole explained that often people in wheelchairs believe they won’t get to participate in many social rites of passage that involve dancing. “Elaina had wondered if she would be able to dance at her prom,” Nicole recalled. “I hate to see when a dis-
ability crushes kids’ dreams, because she absolutely can dance at her prom. There was also a report on 20/20 with Barbara Walters earlier this year about a groom in a wheelchair who learned to dance for his wedding. Those social things are often largely given up, and they don’t have to be.” Dance Art Wheels and the Cardenas family hope to continue to promote awareness about wheelchair dancing and all the possibilities for those living their lives with a disability. December is an exciting month for the sport as The International Paralympic Committee will hold the IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships in Tokyo, Japan on December 7-8. It will feature over 200 athletes from 26 countries. Nicole is passionate about the future of wheelchair dancing. “So many people in wheelchairs have a lot of physical ability…why shouldn’t they be able to go dancing?” she said. Mandy Mulliez is a freelance writer, photographer and mother of two living in Needham, MA. More information about photography can be found at www.mandymulliezphotography.com, and she can be reached at mandysjm@hotmail.com. BAYSTATEPARENT 22 23