Emotive dance lifts students up

JOYFUL dance moves are livening the Eastwood Leisure Centre each week.

On Wednesday evenings, Emotion21 dance and fitness classes are run, offering specially designed expressive movement options for children and adults with Down syndrome.

Local instructor Bella Campbell said the aim is to provide people with disabilities with access to performing arts opportunities.

“The main goal is to dance, for them to have fun, and to be comfortable,” she said.

“We’re also working on their fine motor skills, and gross motor skills, especially for the primary school students, by doing things like moving the arms and legs at the same time, and crossing the arms over the body.

“They do wall-to-wall running, marching, skipping… Making sure they get skills up while having fun.”

Ms Campbell said she notices students’ ability to focus changes and develops as they step into the dance studio.

“You can see their ability to retain and remember movement improve, and it brings out their confidence and self-esteem,” she said. “They can then go forward and do more things, like find a job.”

All participants take part in an end-of-year performance, and the teen and adult students are taking part in an upcoming concert to be staged in September.

“They’re doing two dances, with the theme of disco, so they’re working on that at the moment,” Ms Campbell said. “It’s a lot of fun.

“I love dancing with them. They’re a great bunch of people.”

Emotion21 classes are held in locations across Victoria. Visit inclusionfoundation.org.au/classes for more information.