folk dancing in wheelchairs?

Thomas Green

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Feb 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/17/98

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Does anyone have information on how to adapt contra dancing and other
types of folk dance for people in wheelchairs?

Many thanks if you can send me some ideas or experiences.

Thomas Green

Jonathan Sivier

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Feb 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/17/98

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Thomas Green <thomas...@ndirect.co.uk> writes:

Contra dance seems to work pretty well as it is for people in wheelchairs.
I've danced in the past with a woman in a wheelchair and she did just fine.
Swings had to modified to two-hand turns, but everything else seemed to work.

Jonathan

David Elek Kirchner

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Feb 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/17/98

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Thomas Green <thomas...@ndirect.co.uk> writes:

: >Does anyone have information on how to adapt contra dancing and other
: >types of folk dance for people in wheelchairs?

Do you mean a group of many people in wheelchairs, or integrating one
or two people in wheelchairs into a regular dance?

There is a woman named Ann from Kentucky who I've seen several times at
contra dance festivals who dances in a wheelchair. One of the more amazing
things I've seen was her putting back together half a line of lost
beginners at Black Mountain a few years back.

--
David
dav...@artsci.wustl.edu
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~david6

Julie Mangin

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

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In article <6cd59q$dnt$1...@newsreader.wustl.edu>,

David Elek Kirchner <dav...@artsci.wustl.edu> wrote:
>There is a woman named Ann from Kentucky who I've seen several times at
>contra dance festivals who dances in a wheelchair. One of the more amazing
>things I've seen was her putting back together half a line of lost
>beginners at Black Mountain a few years back.

David:

Could this be the same woman I've seen at Glen Echo occasionally? Whoever
she is, her dancing is incredible. She's so smooth that you forget she's
in a chair, and you just dance with her. I wonder how much work it was
for her to learn to dance that way, and if someone taught her, or she
figured it out on her own?

Julie

Nancy Mamlin

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

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In article <34E9E7...@ndirect.co.uk>, thomas...@ndirect.co.uk wrote:
>Does anyone have information on how to adapt contra dancing and other
>types of folk dance for people in wheelchairs?
>

>Many thanks if you can send me some ideas or experiences.
>

>Thomas Green

Hi Thomas,

There are a lot of unanswered questions there- as someone else has already
mentioned- are you talking about integrating one or two people into a dance of
TABs? (temporarily able-bodied) If so, it may not be a big deal at all.

Another question, can these folks move themselves around, or do they need
pushers? That may change what dances you do.

However, it IS possible- any of those configurations. It takes flexibility and
creativity on the part of the caller, and the other dancers, but here's my
(limited) experience:

I was asked to call once for a convention of people concerned with nursing
home care. Some of the attendees were nursing home residents, and were in
chairs, with pushers. They were also, you might imagine, elderly, and so had
some additional difficulties associated with that. Anyway, they were there to
dance. The program I called that evening was rather typical of my "one-night
stand" repertoire- lots of big circle sets, a VA reel, waltzes, etc. The band
played just as fast as they usually do- regular old-time hoedown speed- and I
just called figres slower. Since they didn't have to be on any particular
phrase, it didn't matter at all. In that situation, I think a contra dance
would be out of the question, since timing is important. However, if they were
to become "regulars", (and the pushers would have to be, too), then it may
work out eventually.

Ann, the woman that some have mentioned, *is* a phenomenal dancer. She uses a
"racing" type wheelchair, which makes it more possible for her to execute
tight dance moves. People in "clunkier" (and more affordable) chairs may not
be able to be so adept. It's like the difference between driving a compact car
and a Mack truck- different turning radius.

Good luck! My specialty is adaptations and accomodations, so let me know if
you need any thoughts. (With enough lead time, I'll just turn it into a class
assignment!)

Nancy

Jonathan Sivier

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

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jma...@access5.digex.net (Julie Mangin) writes:

>In article <6cd59q$dnt$1...@newsreader.wustl.edu>,
>David Elek Kirchner <dav...@artsci.wustl.edu> wrote:
>>There is a woman named Ann from Kentucky who I've seen several times at
>>contra dance festivals who dances in a wheelchair. One of the more amazing
>>things I've seen was her putting back together half a line of lost
>>beginners at Black Mountain a few years back.

>Could this be the same woman I've seen at Glen Echo occasionally? Whoever

>she is, her dancing is incredible. She's so smooth that you forget she's
>in a chair, and you just dance with her. I wonder how much work it was
>for her to learn to dance that way, and if someone taught her, or she
>figured it out on her own?

She told me that she plays wheelchair basketball. I asuspect that there are
many similarities in the agility needed for both of these activities. You
have to change direction and speed quickly and smoothly, make tight turns and
so on.

Jonathan

David Cottle

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

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Thomas Green wrote:
>
> Does anyone have information on how to adapt contra dancing and other
> types of folk dance for people in wheelchairs?

dav...@artsci.wustl.edu (David Elek Kirchner):

>There is a woman named Ann from Kentucky who I've seen several times at
>contra dance festivals who dances in a wheelchair. One of the more

I danced with this person too. At first I was a little concerned about
how I would need to adapt, but there wasn't a single move that required
any special treatment (except the swing). After half the dance I was a
little jealous. She was very smooth and gave excellent wieght.

Martin Kiff

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

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In article <6cd59q$dnt$1...@newsreader.wustl.edu>, David Elek Kirchner

<dav...@artsci.wustl.edu> writes
>Thomas Green <thomas...@ndirect.co.uk> writes:
>
>: >Does anyone have information on how to adapt contra dancing and other

>: >types of folk dance for people in wheelchairs?
>

>Do you mean a group of many people in wheelchairs, or integrating one
>or two people in wheelchairs into a regular dance?

I've only tried once... and that was in a mixed environment. There is a
lot to think about there. Even in a simple swing; Does the able-bodied
grab the wheelchair dancers arm (and they lose half their 'motive power'
and a lot of thier control) or the arm of the chair (and you lose any
personal contact?)
--
Regards,
Martin Kiff
m...@webfeet.co.uk

Oh Melo Velo

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98

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On 17 Feb 1998 20:33:34 GMT, j-si...@staff.uiuc.edu (Jonathan Sivier
) wrote:

> I've danced in the past with a woman in a wheelchair and she did just fine.

So have I but the woman was an extraordinarily gifted athelete
confined to a WC. She worked her butt off to accomplish what she did
and I wouldn't extrapolate one anecdotal point to a total population.
During my admittedly short stint in a WC, I would have found it
impossible.

__________________________________________________________
Regards, Ed Downing <OhMel...@DELETEME.mindspring.com>
©1998 Oh Melo Velo Technology, Inc. Raleigh, North Carolina

Pete and Deb LaBerge

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Feb 21, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/21/98

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Thomas Green wrote:
>
> Does anyone have information on how to adapt contra dancing and other
> types of folk dance for people in wheelchairs?
>

> Many thanks if you can send me some ideas or experiences.
>
> Thomas Green

A few months back, I called some squares and circle dances
at a Christmas party for a research firm. The president of
the company was a wonderful woman with boundless energy who
danced most of the dances. She was in one of those lightweight
racing model wheelchairs. The thing I noticed most was that she was
able to use the momentum of the circle or her partner to really
get rolling and then was able to turn on a dime by leaning back
slightly and doing a tight 180 degree spin. We did a dance called Nine
Pin, where a ninth person is in the center of the square. When she was
the Nine Pin, she was popping wheelies in the middle of the set!
Most impressive though, was the last waltz. She was much smoother
than her husband and kept him in time with elaborate arm movement
and would pivot the chair at the apex and then back the other way.
She obviously loved to dance - and did.

Pete LaBerge