If you are a fan of “Dancing With the Stars,” you have probably heard of Amy Purdy, a Paralympic bronze medalist snowboarder and double-amputee who is competing on the show this season. In the first week alone, she proved she was going to be a real competitor by tying for third place despite dancing on two prosthetic legs. Purdy, though, is not the only athlete proving ballroom dancing can be done beautifully and effectively even on prosthetic legs.
Ballroom dance instructor Adrienne Haslet-Davis was a spectator at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013 when a bomb went off near her. The bombing resulted in the amputation of a portion of her left leg. Despite that, Haslet-Davis soon vowed she would dance again. Just roughly eleven months after losing part of her leg, Haslet-Davis danced the rumba in front of a crowd at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 19, 2014 thanks to her specially created prosthetic dancing leg. She said of this dancing experience:
"It was invigorating to dance publicly with my new leg, but also to realize that my return to dance may have the power to inspire other people to reach for their goals and be proactive in their lives. I was always determined to dance again, and I knew that I had to, that I would, and here I am. My first dance happening to be so near the anniversary of the marathon bombing stands as a reminder that I’m a survivor, not a victim."
Of course, Purdy and Haslet-Davis are not the only people dancing despite physical limitations. Other people are also proving having fun while ballroom dancing does not require someone in perfect physical condition. In life, it is so easy to say why we cannot do something. It is simple to lean on limitations, whether physical or mental, and say that is why we have not tried something yet. If you are interested in moving beyond what you or others perceive as reasons you cannot try ballroom dancing, contact us. At Quick Quick Slow Ballroom Dance Studio, we want to help you reach your potential as a ballroom dancer.
Categories: Ballroom Dancing, Benefits of Ballroom Dancing, Dance Competitions