Dance Therapy for Disabilities

I recently stumbled across a wonderful article in the New York Times looking at dance therapy in treating cerebral palsy. The most wonderful thing to see what that a man who for years had walked with a very distinctive gait that often caused others to stare at him was able to, through a process of “awakening” knowledge of his muscles, alter his walking pattern so that he is able to move in something very close to a standard human gait. It’s a very inspiring and touching story and I definitely recommend giving it a read  – here’s a quote to give you an idea of the story:

They started at the top and worked down — sternum, sacrum, knees — with Mr. Mozgala’s body and brain opening paths of communication that had not existed.

“There’s a lot of howling, screaming, crying, sweating,” Ms. Rogoff said. But “we often have these huge eureka moments.”

The other day, for instance, it was brain, meet lower-leg tendon.

“I said today, ‘I can feel my Achilles,’ ” Mr. Mozgala said. “You have to realize, I have never felt my Achilles before.”

The thought of someone who has never been able to feel a body suddenly generating a connection there gives me the chills. So if you’d like to read more you can see the whole story here at the New York Times.