The Dynamic OT Role at the DAM: Supporting New Dancers through an individualized approach
We have invited Raven Brooks, student Occupational Therapist at the University of Toronto, to share some reflections about the dynamic roles the Dance Ability Movement OTs have based on her experience during her 10-week placement with us. Since Raven’s impressions covered diverse topics, we’ve decided to publish them in a series of blog posts throughout the next four weeks. We hope you enjoy! Before beginning my student occupational therapy placement at the Dance Ability Movement (DAM), I wasn’t exactly sure what my role would look like, especially in a virtual environment. Now, after 10 weeks, I can tell you that [...]
11 Years of the Dance Ability Movement, 11 Things We Learned on Placement
Dance parties, virtual backgrounds, endless laughs, “Hey Baby!”, die-hard Disney fans and an inflatable giraffe - just a few of the many things that defined our placement experience at the Dance Ability Movement (DAM). As two student Occupational Therapists (OTs) with a dance background, if you would’ve asked us 10 weeks ago what it meant to be a dancer, our definition would’ve been drastically different compared to what it is now. From defining dance as pointed toes, straight arms, perfect ballet buns and looking uniform on stage, we have broken down these barriers and have changed the way we see [...]
The Show Must Go On!
The year-end recitals are that magical moment dancers wait for all year long! Due to Covid restrictions, this year our dancers were not able to perform on stage again. However, we challenged ourselves to think outside-of-the-box to find a way to still celebrate together and recognize the hard work of our dancers, volunteers, teachers and OTs. The main focus of the team was to find creative ways to replicate that sense of magic and feeling of pride that dancers get after performing on stage. “We knew we had to be creative with how to achieve a sense of being together [...]
Meet the Recipients of the 2020-2021 Volunteer Commitment Appreciation Award!
More than connecting with our dancers, our volunteers play an important role in inspiring and helping them participate in our dance program to the best of their abilities. As a way to recognize our volunteers’ efforts and show how much we appreciate them, every year we run our Volunteer Commitment Appreciation Award. The award is presented to a volunteer who has demonstrated dependability in their volunteer role and a long-standing commitment to The Dance Ability Movement, contributing multiple years of service to the program. Recipients are committed to promoting inclusion and demonstrating the values of The Dance Ability Movement. Please [...]
Congratulations Julia Kostecki on being June’s Volunteer of the Month!
Julia began volunteering virtually and has grown into such a great role model in our community. She volunteers in many community workshop classes throughout the week as an ambassador for the Dance Ability Movement. Besides embodying an inclusive mindset, Julia has the ability to make everyone feel a sense of belonging. Taking and applying feedback so well has allowed Julia to grow so much in her role. Julia models dance moves, challenges dancers to think creatively, and shows how much FUN dance can be! She is a true team player and is becoming a great leader in the DAM FAMILY [...]
We are so proud of Dylan Abbott for winning Second Place Senior Novice Solo at the Elevation Dance Challenge!
Dylan ready for the competition! At the Dance Ability Movement, we believe that everyone deserves equal opportunities to shine and thrive through dance! Therefore, we encourage our dancers to follow their hearts and make their dancing dreams come true! Dylan Abbott, one of our Hip Hop dancers and volunteers at the Dance Workshop in Alliston, is living proof of what you can accomplish with hard work, passion and determination. Since Dylan’s first day at the teens’ Hip-Hop class, his passion for music and movement was clear. He was so enthusiastic about dance that he naturally started to help [...]