Alessendre Special Needs Dance School

LARONDINA DANCE COMPANY www.asneeds.org.uk

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LARONDINA DANCE COMPANY Dr Ronald Heavey MB A pioneer and visionary, Dr Ronald Heavey MBE dedicated his life to convincing an often sceptical world that many special needs children, far from being an embarrassment to be sidelined, could be radically transformed into citizens of confidence and worth with good physical, mental and language skills.

As a young man Dr Heavey's strong humanitarian principles were outraged when he visited a special needs school. Apathetic pupils were locked in a room with an equally apathetic teacher. It was considered inadvisable at that time to allow the children to run free.

Dr Heavey vowed to change this retrograde thinking. Over the years, he succeeded in that and much, much more.

His early working life was spent as a top West End dancer, but he was forced to quit the stage after developing asthma and angina. He turned to teaching, obtained a doctorate, and decided to work with special needs people.

He eventually became headmaster of Mill House School in St Helen's, Lancashire. He now had the scope to put his visionary ideas into practice. Those with special needs, he contended, should not lead isolated and inactive lives.

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They should be gently but firmly stretched; and the medium of dance was the ideal way because of its marked power to enhance mental, physical and social abilities while using methods that were soothing and entertaining.

All aspects of the learning process would be affected, language, numeracy, social, and even geographical skills (folk dance would teach much about the cultures of other countries).

The end product would be an individual whose brain and body had been stimulated in such a way that permanent and highly beneficial change had been effected. Out went apathy. In came a heads-up confidence born of new-found abilities.

Experts and parents alike were so impressed and moved by Dr Heavey's signal achievements that they pressed him to disseminate his methods as widely as possible. So he formed a dance company that travelled nationally and internationally to demonstrate conclusively that those with special needs often had latent but very real artistic and other abilities that could, with patience and devotion, be uncovered.

Proficient in ballet, modem dance and tap, the company highlighted how its repertoire could be adapted for use with any special needs difficulties.

The company's reputation grew to the point where the President of the United States invited it to perform in the White House. Film actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny de Vito had two of the dancers appear on stage at the premiere of their film The Twins.

Dr Heavey died in 2001 but his great pioneering work continues to be spread by his protege and named successor, Angelina Alessendre.

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Angelina Alessendre, MBE At just three years old, Angelina Alessendre started training in classical dance at the muchacclaimed Vaccani School in London’s Knightsbridge, where, for instance, various members of the royal family attended classes in ballet, ballroom and Scottish dancing.

In her teens while still training, she performed on the West End stage, elsewhere in England and abroad. At the same time, she studied the Martha Graham style of modern dance, but her passion remained with classical ballet.

She gave up her professional dancing career early to concentrate on bringing up her two children. Later, she rejoined the Vaccani School to teach dance alongside her childhood ballet teacher.

During this ten-year period, the Royal Ballet invited Angelina to a special needs school in Londonšs Barbican centre to witness a trial course in dance and mime for youngsters with a variety of physical disabilities.

She expected this to be a rather sombre experience but was delighted to find happy, well-adjusted children in an atmosphere of joy and optimism. All the children were eager to learn, and even those with quite severe problems were able to participate, often miming the part they were given.

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This experience reminded Angelina of the time when as a teenager in 1959 she lived in Hungary , where her father had been posted as a foreign correspondent. She witnessed the work of Budapest’s internationally-renowned Peto Institute. Its structured and disciplined exercise regime transformed the lives of many children with cerebral palsy and associated conditions.

Angelina saw plainly that the Peto offered abundant hope for its charges by gently stretching them until they reached their highest possible potential.

The Barbican special needs dance course together with her recollection of the Peto Institute, so moved and inspired Angelina that she was determined to start her own dance school for those with learning difficulties.

She began to write a syllabus which would create an atmosphere of normality and fun, an objective reinforced by a young boy she met who had attended a variety of therapy classes. He told her: "I'm sick of being theraped," a novel but telling variation on a word.

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Angelina then worked extensively in special needs schools before starting her own classes. for children with a variety of disabilities.

Later, she saw on television two Down’s Syndrome youngsters dancing to a number from Phantom of the Opera. In attendance was the star of the show, Michael Crawford, who made a moving presentation to the dancers.

Angelina rang the BBC which put her in touch with Dr Ronald Heavey MBE, the dancers’ teacher. He had won world-wide renown for the brilliance of his work. His dance company had performed across Europe and even in the White House in Washington.

Impressed with Angelina’s ability and dedication, Dr Heavey made her his protégé and taught her his unique syllabus, which she blended with a number of her own ideas to form the core of her curriculum. The Alessendre Special Needs Dance School and the Larondina Dance Company were born.

During the Christmas Honours Lists 2009, Angelina Alessendre received the Medal of the British Empire (MBE) from Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II for her invaluable contribution towards people with disabilities.

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Elisabeth Blackwell Elisabeth has been the Excecutive Assistant and got involved with the dance school and company for many years, since her daughter Rebecca attended as one of the first pupils in the school. Elisabeth has contributed to the success of the school and company through her indefatigable energy in every aspect, from coaching and directing the students to helping with the costumes and choreography, to logistics dealing with the events and exhibitions both at home and abroad.

The Parents The school and company could have not been a success without the support and commitment provided by the parents.

The Alessendre Special Needs Dance School Dance Company Larondina 8

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The school has been in existence for only eighteen years but its marked achievements are such that it is now in demand internationally. With performances in Russia, Hungary, France, Germany, United States, where the dance company has demonstrated its accomplishments.

The objective: to bring teachers to London for training in the special methods used to fulfil the school’s dual agenda:

1. To uncover the artistic talents latent in people with special needs.

2. To develop well-adjusted and confident individuals able to lead fulfilled lives.

The school’s artistic director, Angelina Alessendre, attributes much of her success to her mentor, Dr Ronald Heavey MBE, founder of the renowned St Helens’ Special Needs Dance Company which, over the years, won much international acclaim for its brilliance. Dr Heavey, unstintingly gave his time, his immense talent, his love and great heart to transforming the lives of Down’s Syndrome youngsters. He has chosen Angelina as his successor to further his pioneering work.

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Using his imaginative syllabus as a solid base, she choreographs dance sequences to music likely to appeal and motivate. With firm but good-humoured discipline, patience and – above all – totally empathy, the pupils’ attention is held as they listen, remember and gradually connect one movement with another to gain ultimate mastery of the dance. Classes thus become profound learning experiences.

Positive change – physical, intellectual and social – follows.

Dance can play a useful role in the education of any youngster.

But those with Down’s Syndrome it can be the all-important route to complete transformation. For them it has especially significant meanings. They relate to it, automatically and enthusiastically.

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Their movement skill improves; their intellectual development blossoms from the mental effort needed to master the steps; and by performing in unison with their peers they create a sense of togetherness.

This cohesion makes them more aware of themselves and of one another. They begin to look, listen and respond.

With these heightened intellectual and social skills plus parallel physical improvement – better posture, balance and co-ordination – come; communication, concentration, co-operation and co-ordination – all of them indispensable life skills which nurture that most vital of qualities – Confidence.

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More information

Although most of the school's pupils are Down's Syndrome youngsters, the innovative curriculum can be readily adapted to embrace all learning difficulties. 12

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A critic from the Dancing Times, Britain's most prestigious journal devoted to classical dance, wrote that the school is achieving "remarkable results".

Several years ago Angelina Alessendre created from among her

pupils a dance troupe, the Larondina Dance Company. It acts as a showcase for the school's work and has won standing ovations from audiences in many parts of the country. In London they have danced at Her Majesty's and the Prince of Wales theatres alongside stars from musicals playing at that time.

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As a consequence of such high-profile national exposure, a demand for details of the school's work has developed internationally from parents, teachers, doctors and academics.

For example, the company was invited to Moscow to demonstrate that for many special needs youngsters their condition need be no bar to a full and useful life. In Russia 90% of children with Down’s Syndrome are placed in institutions at birth. More than 45% of them die before their first birthdays.

The visit was arranged by the British Moscow-based charity Downside Up, the only centre of its kind in the Russian capital offering early intervention for Down's Syndrome children. The charity offers training to the medical profession, and to parents and carers. In hospitals it works to keep children with the family.

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The company's performance was very enthusiastically received (the stage was pelted with flowers), and was shown as part of a television documentary about those with Down’s Syndrome. As a result of the excellent work of Downside Up, the institutionalisation process is slowly beginning to change, and we hope that our performance contributed in some way towards this.

The school's financial resources, however, impose strict limits on development. With appropriate funding much more could be achieved. Angelina would therefore be immensely grateful for any ideas on possible sources of finance. If, for example, schools were to devote just one hour a week to teaching the Heavey/Alessendre method, valuable progress would be made.

Those teaching our basic dance syllabus need not necessarily be dance teachers, but they must be people with a passion for doing the work. And, of course, it costs money to train them. The dance troupe's many talents were highlighted by the Dancing Times' critic, who wrote in a two-page article titled "Meeting the Challenge": 15

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'The class I watched began with a short barre of plies, tendus. releves, port de bras and toe taps to the front and side, and moved on to stretches and simple turns at the centre, and then to rehearsal of several of these sequences. All worked hard for the full hour, accepting her command good-naturedly and correcting their position as she suggested.

"One boy surprised me by turning two perfect cartwheels and then turning his head in satisfaction right on the musical beat. But 1 was also surprised by the variety of steps the students had mastered, the elegant line the girls achieved in arabesque, and the genuine affection displayed by each pair of partners."

Once the session ends, the school hall becomes a kind of club where like-minded students gather to talk and laugh about matters of common interest. This in no way runs counter to current thinking that integration within the mainstream community is the best way forward for Down's Syndrome people. Most of the school's pupils are well integrated at school and in the community.

There is a place and time for integration. As important as it is for special needs pupils to spend time in a mixed environment, for both social and educational purposes, it can be counter-productive as a general routine, because it will put too much pressure on the special needs pupils while hindering the progress of the others. This can also cause a feeling of inadequacy in those not equipped to keep up with the pace that other pupils can, and may cause these pupils a loss of interest as a result. But Angelina's experience has been that pupils gain enormously from knowing they have one place they can use socially (and they love to socialise) where everyone is on the same footing. Long-lasting friendships are made by those facing similar challenges. Parents, too, are able to mix and empathise with one another.

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Articles and comments...

There have been many articles regarding the work of the School and the Dance Company Wandsworth Guardian describes our efforts to get the Larondina dance Company to Russia in their article Overcoming life's hurdles.

Downside Up supported our trip to Russia by hosting a nice article about the Larondina Dance Company in their Fundraising Events page.

The Moscow Times gave a special report by Annabel McGilvray on the changing attitudes to Down Syndrome, and with special mention of the Larondina Dance Company visit to Moscow Barbara Newman of Dancing Times gives a very interesting account of the school and in particular about the Director Angelina Alessendre in her article Meeting the Challenge. This article was written in March 2001 just before the Gala Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

We discovered an interesting article in This is Lancashire dated 25 September 1997 under the by line Final curtain set to fall, paying tribute to Dr. Ron Heavey and to St Helens International Special Needs Dance Company, in what was their last performance after 10 years. The newspaper also published a moving tribute to Ron by his family after his death, titled Ron saw magic of dance

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Can you help funding?

Although some of the running costs and expenses are funded by tuition-fees for the Alessendre Special Needs Dance School and by earnings through performances by the Larondina Dance Company, they are, by no means, adequate for the survival, and effective running of either of them.

We need to cover and we welcome donations from any private or corporate source to help us achieve:  To train both those who already have dance training as well as

those who have no formal training. Experience shows that 2 full days is required to give the early training to dance teachers.

Those without experience obviously require more.  To subsidise dance classes for those who cannot afford to pay

the fees (on benefits, single parents etc) and to help with payment for the hire of the hall. It is also worth underlining the social aspect of parents being able to meet during the Saturday classes.  To purchase and maintain costumes, music and equipment nec-

essary for the classes and shows.  To subsidise the production of educational and promotional

DVDs. Anyone wishing to obtain full information on our income and expenditure together with complete promotional literature should contact its Director Angelina Alessendre.

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Comments and suggestions about the Website Should you have any difficulties or suggestions regarding this website we would be grateful to hear from you Please send comments to this address e-mail at webmaster@asneeds.org.uk

Dance Classes Available Some information on other people who will be taking classes elsewhere in the country:

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Teacher

Location

Bernadine Soul Fiona Sewell Lindon Bennett Special Needs School

Didcot, Oxford Rugby, Warwickshire

01235510710 07985760758

Hounslow, Middlesex

0208898 0429

Contact Address

Angelina Alessendre Director Alesendre Special Needs Dance School Battersea London United Kingdom Phone: +44 20 7585 2431 Email: info@asneeds.org.uk Website: www.asneeds.org.uk 20

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