A new documentary that showcases the amazing accomplishments of dancers with disabilities will delve into their individual, hard-fought journeys in A Passion for Dance. The film is a story of courage, passion and love that will embolden those with disabilities and simultaneously educate those that do not.
The Abilities Expo team is making this movie to celebrate Dance and its effect on the thousands of visitors at Abilities Expo every year. However, in order for us to make this film and deliver a professional product that can be seen and experienced by thousands of viewers, we need YOUR help to make this vision a reality. Like it on Facebook, follow it on Twitter and share this wonderful news with friends and family.
They Won’t Give Up
Donna Russo and Tam Warner, two women with disabilities, shared a passion for the art of Dance when they met at a workshop led by Tam.
Donna, an actress and dancer born with Turner’s syndrome, now lives with late onset Muscular Dystrophy that has affected her movement and flexibility. Tam, an award winning dancer and choreographer, has heart disease exacerbated by a rare inflammatory illness.
The workshop enabled Tam to understand Donna’s desire to continue dancing and together they created a gripping dance routine that paired Donna with two professional, able-bodied dancers who act as her alter ego, performing graceful dance moves with the full range of motion that Donna is incapable of achieving.
When these two women brought their dance performance to Abilities Expo, the impact was profound. The sheer emotion evoked from the live audience made one thing abundantly clear—Donna’s story, as well as the stories of other dancers who triumph over their impediments, must be told. The stories of the motivation and resolve to use dance as a way of overcoming challenges and disabilities will captivate, instruct and inspire.
And so A Passion for Dance was born.
A Passion for Dance: Making the Movie
A Passion for Dance is about real people, people with disabilities, their hopes, courage and tenacity; all expressed through the creative form of Dance.
In this documentary, you will meet dancers motivated to work with Tam and Donna and create a new, unique Dance experience. Through their journey each dancer shares their experiences of what they have overcome to pursue their dreams. You too will share how each victory further ignites their passion. You will be right there with them, rooting for their success as they venture through auditions, casting and rehearsals. And finally, you will feel their triumph in making the cut and experience their disappointment if they don’t.
The film has already met with approbation from the disability community. “I am so happy to see this,” commented Deborah Dawson, whose granddaughter features women with disabilities in her art. “We must promote our young women, no, all of our women who take that leap of faith and go forth into joy and happiness and creativity.”
It’s not just the audience that has been moved by this project. Donna shared, “I didn’t realize what an effect this experience would have on me. Especially uplifting has always been the audience participation during the live performance at the Abilities Expo events when the audience is asked to join us. It assured me that this joy is what it’s all about. The connection through dance is powerful and universal. If you can only contribute some small movement or have the ability to use all your talents, it is all important in creating the big picture.”
We need YOU to be part of that big picture and help us spread the news about A Passion for Dance. LIKE the film on Facebook, follow it on Twitter and learn more about it at www.apassionfordance.com. Please share this story with your family and friends so they can get involved as well.
The film will be screened in seven cities across the nation at the 2016 Abilities Expos. DVDs will be available at the shows and online.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
