2. I attended the Infinity Dance event featuring an amazing woman named
Kitty Lunn who started what she described as a “nontraditional dance
company” in 1995. After an accident, that resulted in her becoming a paraplegic, she
made
up her mind not to let that stop her from dancing. For twenty years now, Kitty has
given those with disabilities a chance to dance. Ms. Lunn is an incredible person
and the more I learned about her, the more impressed I was by her strength and
positivity.
In the two pieces I had the privilege of seeing, I was mesmerized by the
way she danced as if she didn’t have a care in the world. While watching Kitty
dance, it was clear to me how much it meant to her. After her accident, Ms. Lunn
said that she thought her dancing days were over. Understandably, she
experienced some depression but eventually this drove her to create a dance
company that lets people with and without disabilities come together.
Before I attended the event, I was curious about how a disabled person
was going to dance. When I got there, I saw Ms. Lunn in her wheelchair and
couldn’t help but wonder, even more, how she was going to pull this off. The way
that she turned her life around and found a way to dance was absolutely inspiring.
At one point, Kitty said, “Attitudes are the real disability.” I agree with her
that the attitudes can hold you back more than anything else. Ms. Lunn had a
beautiful spirit/energy and she proved that she is much more than her disability.
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3. The first piece was entitled “The Dancer Within” and it was the first dance
she performed after the accident. Kitty was so graceful and there was a peace that
came over her as she moved all over the dance floor. I stopped looking at the
wheelchair and noticed her incredible talent instead. Events like this are so
important because they raise awareness of disabilities and demonstrate the
potential in all of us.
The last dance I had a chance to watch was what Ms. Lunn described as a
duet for her and the wheelchair. Right away it grabbed me as Kitty used the chair
to hold herself up. She stood proudly and had a determined look on her face.
Throughout this piece, Ms. Lunn alternated between sitting in the chair and using
it as a prop rather than a necessity. She is proof that you can turn your life around
and turn lemons into lemonade.
Unfortunately, I was not able to stay for the entire event. However,
the two dances I did see where particularly moving. I found myself almost tearing
up as she glided across the room with grace and passion. Others around me
seemed to feel the same way as they watched her dance. Her positive spirit was
almost contagious and I saw a lot of people smiling and looking in awe at her
while she moved around the dance floor.
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4. Everyone did well from the people who created an inviting space for this
event along with the presenters Dr. Stella Woodroffe, Peter Santiago and, of
course, Kitty Lunn. From the way they spoke it was clear to me that this event
meant a lot to them. They really took time to thank people for the wonderful
turnout and their gratitude for making disability awareness week a success was
apparent. I would say that it was impressive from the start and I wish I could have
stayed longer.
Even though it was a successful event, there are things that I would like to
see if this program comes back next year. One of the things I was annoyed about
was the fact that, after twenty minutes of waiting, Peter Santiago finally made an
announcement that it would be another ten minutes. Granted, I don’t know what
the problem was but I do feel that if there are delays it would be helpful to address
the audience before such a long wait. Next year I think it would be great to feature
more dancers from Infinity Dance. Kitty Lunn was fabulous but I also wanted to
see how other people in the company dance. The entire event was a series of solos
performed by Ms. Lunn and as wonderful as she was, it would have been
interesting to see a variety of dancing from other members as well.
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5. Overall, I thought that Kitty Lunn was a wonderful example of the power of
perseverance. Ms. Lunn did have a rough time after her accident, but eventually she
started a company that gave people regardless of their disabilities a chance to shine. Kitty
was told by doctors, after her life changing injuries, that she would never dance again.
Ms. Lunn told us that she began dancing at the age of eight and twenty years after her
accident, she continues to dance and inspire people.
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6. Overall, I thought that Kitty Lunn was a wonderful example of the power of
perseverance. Ms. Lunn did have a rough time after her accident, but eventually she
started a company that gave people regardless of their disabilities a chance to shine. Kitty
was told by doctors, after her life changing injuries, that she would never dance again.
Ms. Lunn told us that she began dancing at the age of eight and twenty years after her
accident, she continues to dance and inspire people.
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