Category: Uncategorized

Not one, but TWO students of the month! Introducing Manas & Chetan!

<p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">Manas & Chetan are brothers who love to dance and have a variety of music interests. The excitement on their faces and excellent memory of everyone's voices and names at every class would never make it apparent that they both have been completely blind from birth. Both brothers have a condition called Rod cone dystrophy  (which is also known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA)). Manas, who is also autistic, is a teenager who loves hip-hop, country, and bollywood music. Manas gives the class its high-energy and always has a smile on his face. Chetan loves pop and bollywood music as well. He shows high flexibility, great coordination and musicality in his dance skills. The boys have not been in the class for the full year yet, but have made themselves accustomed and known well by our consistent volunteers, Ms. Emma and Ms. Kate. Some goals they have achieved in this class has been spatial awareness without their walking stick, room to step ratio, following choreography instruction, knowing routine and modifying stretches as needed. Some adaptations we do during adaptive dance class is hand under hand assistance at times, person to person contact, and tactile stickers on the floor. Because dance is a whole-body experience, the boys have shown happiness in their experience through verbally assisting other students in the class as well! The boys are a delightful inspiration and exciting performers for everyone to see!Manas & Chetan are brothers who love to dance and have a variety of music interests. The excitement on their faces and excellent memory of everyone’s voices and names at every class would never make it apparent that they both have been completely blind from birth. Both brothers have a condition called Rod cone dystrophy  (which is also known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA)). Manas, who is also autistic, is a teenager who loves hip-hop, country, and bollywood music. Manas gives the class its high-energy and always has a smile on his face. Chetan loves pop and bollywood music as well. He shows high flexibility, great coordination and musicality in his dance skills. The boys have not been in the class for the full year yet, but have made themselves accustomed and known well by our consistent volunteers, Ms. Emma and Ms. Kate. Some goals they have achieved in this class has been spatial awareness without their walking stick, room to step ratio, following choreography instruction, knowing routine and modifying stretches as needed. Some adaptations we do during adaptive dance class is hand under hand assistance at times, person to person contact, and tactile stickers on the floor. Because dance is a whole-body experience, the boys have shown happiness in their experience through verbally assisting other students in the class as well! The boys are a delightful inspiration and exciting performers for everyone to see!

Meet Matthew.

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Fun-loving Matthew enjoys busting a groove to “Tarzan”-themed music. He proves that Downs Syndrome is just a diagnosis and not an obstacle. Some goals Matthew has improved upon, since attending our class, are: social skills, coordination, following instructions, understanding principles of counting to music, adjusting to rhythm and being able to refocus so he can show his love of dance and music! He has even encouraged his best friend to try out the class with him. What a great friend! We love having his funny sense of humor and awesome energy in our class and can’t wait to see all the new goals he will accomplish in the near future!

The holidays are around the corner and we are about to put on the show Elf, Jr at NTPA-Fairview! Go to http://www.ntpa.org/Starcatchers to get your tickets! Dec 7, 14,&15th

Come take a look at this past weekend’s performance at North Texas Performing Arts in Plano and the Choreography from Jasmine’s Beat! The collaboration is making these stars RISE!! So proud of this cast and crew! https://youtu.be/uAJeCgfd7VA