Dancing with Disabilities
by Hennepin County Library
Communications
Staff
About 150 adults and
teens, many with mental and/or physical disabilities, enjoyed and
participated in a performance by Kairos Dance Theatre as part of
the “Arts Access at Hennepin County Library” program
series on Monday, Jan. 30, 2006 at the Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle
Creek Parkway in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
The series’ mission
is to connect teens and adults of all mental and physical abilities
to the arts, and to reinforce that they are valued library customers
who are welcome at HCL.
“Everyone was dancing and moving, including severely disabled
people who performed at the level they could,” said John Sugimura,
HCL program manager. He said one woman was completely paralyzed and
could move her wheelchair only by blowing into a mouthpiece. She
moved her wheelchair in circles to ‘dance.’
Kairos Dance Theatre,
Minnesota’s only intergenerational dance
theatre, celebrates people of all ages, abilities, and experiences
in its artistic creativity.
Sugimura said family members attending with children or siblings
appreciated that they could go to the library, enjoy a performance
specially designed for them, and not worry about being accepted.
He also noted that there
were many “repeat customers” from
last season’s “Arts Access” series.
The next “Arts Access” performances
are:
Monday, Feb. 27, 2006, 7 pm
at the Ridgedale Library, 12601 Ridgedale Dr., Minne-tonka. This
night will feature the Zenon Dance Company.
Monday, March 27, 2006, 7 pm at the Eden Prairie Library. This night
will feature the Jawaahir Dance Company.
Lifelong Learning via Hennepin
County Library
For information about upcoming
activities and current services as well as access to the library’s catalog, electronic
data bases, the Internet, and other resources, go to www.hclib.org.
Almost 2 million books,
magazines, newspapers, CDs, and other materials, plus more than
1,000 computer workstations, are available to you free of charge
at the libraries. Library cards are free. Apply at any of the 26
suburban Hennepin County libraries (bring a form of identification)
or fill out your application online at www.hclib.org.
Wireless
Internet access is available at all 26 libraries.
