People of All Abilities
Dance at "Art Access" Program
by Carla Knutson Biermaier
In
February, more than 100 teens and adults, many with physical
and mental disabilities, participated in a performance by Zenon
Dance Company at an “Arts
Access at Hennepin County Library” program
at the Ridgedale Library.
The “Arts Access” series is designed for an all-inclusive
audience, including the deaf and hard of hearing community and special
needs students and adults, but is open to the general public as well. Zenon
performs both modern and jazz works created by emerging or internationally-renowned
choreographers.
“It was a very interactive program, with lots of instruction
and music,” said John Sugimura, Hennepin County Library’s
Program and Special Events manager. “Zenon had people
up on their feet, doing whatever movement they could. Everyone
contributed to the dance by doing small, individual movements based
on their abilities, which were put together to create a large scale
dance.”
The “Arts Access” series is sponsored by the Library
Foundation of Hennepin County, in collaboration with the Association
of Residential Resources in Minnesota (ARRM), Homeward Bound, Inc.,
and Star Services. The last performance of the season will
be on Monday, March 27, 7 pm at the Eden Prairie Library. Jawaahir
Dance Company will perform dances from Middle Eastern cultures. Admission
is free. For more information, call Sugimura at 952-847-8661.
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.
