Feeling and experiencing movement is something that creative dance allows us to focus on. I believe that this is the perfect platform to assist students who are differently- abled. My research will be on the benefits of creative dance for special needs students. It is interesting to note that I have learnt that there is so much more being done by the disabled community about their own challenges. They are fighting for the right to be heard. There are more disabled activists even where I live and they are making their voice known. One disabled person in her TED talk mentioned the fact that we are all dealing with disability in one way or another.' We are either aging with disability or aging into disability.' This young woman was in a horrible accident that left her paralyzed and now facing a  new reality. I found that her perspective was quite interesting as things that she took for granted like getting into a car and going to run errands became an event rather than a simple activity.

As a dance teacher, I know that creative dance can help in areas of communication, health and wellness and socialization. So what is the problem? why aren't more students regardless of age benefiting from creative dance classes? Are there inclusive classes? Would they prefer to be only with a class of their peers? Are teachers willing to work with students who are disabled or are they more focused on perfection for examinations only? can we find a middle ground? These are questions that have been on my mind lately.

From some semi structured interviews I learnt that communication is very important in these matters. The parent, the teacher and the student  are all involved in one way or another. What are the barriers that hinder proper communication? I also learnt that even though a teacher may not say that she is willing to open her class to differently abled students, that she/he is willing to welcome the students into the classroom. However, when a dance class is advertised as open to "all" students a parent of a child with physical or mental challenges may not consider "all" to include his/her child. As "all" is seen or communicated differently to them.

Working through these thoughts..........