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A Continuing Journey to Autism<\/b> Awareness: My Day with \u201cA Chance to Dance\u201d Troupe at World Dance Championships. But There is so Much More Here.\u00a0 By Calvin Schwartz\u00a0\u00a0 August 10^{th<\/sup> 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n}

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photo op in the garden<\/p><\/div>\n
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Awareness began 17 months ago when I interviewed an executive at The Graduate School of Applied Psychology at Rutgers University.\u00a0 Rutgers was undertaking a program involving adult autism<\/i> services. The first part would be employing special needs candidates at the university with a graduate student mentoring each person. Secondly, enrolling students that qualify and housing them in a special residential hall also with a mentoring roommate. My article from April 2016: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2vtvaIr<\/a><\/p>\n
My awareness process began. I was dispatched on a learning curve and spent time at Hope Autism<\/u> Solutions in Basking Ridge. Journalism pulled me in different directions until a few months ago, when a special synchronicity put me together with Bob Salomon from \u2018Beyond the Laces.\u2019<\/p>\n
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staging area near performance time<\/p><\/div>\n
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trophies in waiting<\/p><\/div>\n
Bob introduced me (social media) to Kimberly Pace Smith, the teacher and coach of a dance troupe in Charlotte, North Carolina called \u2018A Chance to Dance;\u2019 the group composed of ten children (six on the autism spectrum but with other special needs). What was so outstanding; \u2018A Chance to Dance\u2019 was featured on a Today Show video, which has garnered some 34 million views as I write this. Video: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2hiafSj<\/a><\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Kimberly\u2019s dance class troupe was invited to compete in the World Dance Championships being held at the Meadowlands Expo Center here in New Jersey. \u00a0Perhaps this article is an excavation into intestinal linings to find the right words to express. \u00a0I was entering a special needs world; a world of love, caring, patience, relevance and determination. A journey began. People to meet and miles to drive.<\/p>\n
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Its about the kids so Kimberly and I did a silhouette selfie<\/p><\/div>\n
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up the ramp to the stage<\/p><\/div>\n
A few weeks ago, we connected. I knew background info as I googled my way around \u2018A Chance to Dance.\u2019 Kimberly has a \u201cdifferently-abled daughter\u201d so with her love of dance, fierce determination to give children ways (arts) to express themselves and through \u2018Reagan\u2019s Wish,\u2019 a charity inspired by her daughter, \u2018A Chance to Dance\u2019 became reality. Kim believes in never giving up.<\/p>\n
I asked how the notion of competing at the World Dance Championship arrived. It was something originally out of the realm of financial practicality until \u201ca woman handed us $10,000 and funded the whole trip.\u201d\u00a0 She explained, \u201cWe\u2019re going for two reasons. Being in Jersey at the Worlds is a bigger platform to raise awareness for special needs.\u00a0And other countries will be there and\u00a0children with special needs are considered less than and all kids are just as capable.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kimberly readying the team on stage<\/p><\/div>\n
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the perfect performance<\/p><\/div>\n
The date for their competition was Tuesday August 1.^{st<\/sup> Kim and I met in the hotel lobby at 9 AM. I was easy to spot in the lobby; my red Rutgers hat. We hugged with the emotion of first-time meeting and why we were there. Kim explained, \u201cfor the kids this is all about self-confidence and realizing social skills and that they have friends. There are ten kids-all with different special needs. Six out of ten on autism spectrum and with additional needs.\u201d \u00a0Kim also thanked the volunteers who are always there, Miss Donna’s School of Dance and the kids and parents for making this all work.<\/p>\n}
Next, Kim introduced me to Sarah Nelson Conklin, an incredibly talented freelance photographer, travelling with the dance team who were assembling in the hotel garden for a photo-op. What I noticed as the kids got ready for a group picture, was a radiant smile on all their faces.<\/p>\n
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Kimberly and special volunteers; a prideful moment watching<\/p><\/div>\n
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improv dancing after performance<\/p><\/div>\n
Kim asked me to say a few words to the parents; my special journey. \u00a0What I learned is that government services work for the kids until they finish 12^{th<\/sup> grade and enter adulthood. When they age out, there is little support structure. It\u2019s like the government walks away. And parents worry about their kids. I was moved as parents came over to me, intrigued and hopeful that the initiatives I spoke about would be in place when it was time for their kids. This was their shared concern.<\/p>\n}
To the Expo center.\u00a0 This was the World Dance Championships. Teams began congregating in an organized assembly line starting in the lobby filled with red-carpet backdrops for photos. A Chance to Dance team posed with parents, individually and as a team, all the kids still smiling. The wait was long and tenuous until the team finally moved inside and sat near the stage. The show hall was cavernous, intimidating and frighteningly loud with a few thousand spectators. But the kids maintained composure, still smiling and some, practicing their dancing moves.<\/p>\n
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Best Performance Team of World Dance Championships<\/p><\/div>\n
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Kimberly Pace Smith & photographer Sarah Nelson Conklin and some of team celebrating in NYC after competition.<\/p><\/div>\n
The kids were spirited as they moved into the staging areas, slowly, inexorably moving closer to their walk on stage to perform. \u00a0I was part of this moment, hugely excited. And then I went introspective and realized how privileged it was to be part of this.<\/p>\n
Backstage, I watched A Chance To Dance poised and confident. The music, \u2018Singing in the Rain\u2019 echoed and Ava strolled with her pink umbrella. They were costumed impeccably right down to the pink bows in the girl\u2019s hair and pink ties for the boys. They were perfect. I watched Kimberly watch them on the other side of the stage. I took pictures; Kimberly\u2019s pride and love evident.<\/p>\n
Post-performance, the kids posed on the media platform. \u00a0And then the laborious waiting for the results, first inside the hall where the kids just started to dance again, improvisational, still filled with so much energy. \u00a0Kim told me that in 2015, they started A Chance To Dance, \u201cwith the seat of our pants. It took months for the kids to just trust each other and us. Then like a light switch, everything took.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes, everything did take. The kids took Best Performance Award at World Dance Championships and I took home memories of one of the best days in a life. And those kids, indelible, precious and inspiring. I needed this.<\/p>\n
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FACEBOOK\u00a0\u00a0 A CHANCE TO DANCE:\u00a0\u00a0 https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AchancetodanceNC\/<\/a><\/p>\n
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WEBSITE:\u00a0\u00a0 https:\/\/www.achancetodance.org\/<\/p>\n
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Calvin & friend<\/p><\/div>\n
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