The Dancing Wheels Company showed off their talented dance moves at the Haas Center for Performing Arts yesterday while having the audience participate in between their performances. The show was sponsored by the University Disability Advisory Committee and the four performers of the night were Matthew Bowman , Emily Schwarting, Tanya Ewell and Meredith Aleigha Wells.

      “Our objective is to teach students with or without disabilities how to dance together at the Dancing Wheels Company,” said Matthew Bowman, “Not only are we a dance company,but we are also a school.”

     Mid way through the show, the performers asked the audience to close their eyes.

     “We want to show you something, so close your eyes and we will teach you how to dance,” said Emily Schwarting, “ Now raise your right arm up, then your left and wave them both side to side.” The method that Schwarting demonstrated was called audio description.

     Afterwards the dancers continued with their third performance where Tanya Ewell demonstrated her amazing  skills in her wheelchair.

     “Tanya is an amazing dancer,” said Bowman, “ She can turn her chair without her hands on the wheel and uses direct and indirect translation.”
Bowman then explained the meaning of translation in dance.

     “Translation is a method used to translate dance from stand up to sit down and it uses variation within space and time.” said Bowman.

     The Dancing Wheels Company

     teaches dance to students with all different kinds of disabilities, like those who are deaf or with hard of hearing.”

     “We also teach dance to deaf students in our school,” said Schwarting, “ So we now want to show you three different signs in sign language.”

     The dancers then showed the audience the signs for applause, thank you and thank you very much. Schwarting explained how a sign can turn into a dance by having Meredith Aleigha Wells give a demonstration.

     Hand gestures was the focus on the last performance by Bowman, Schwarting and Aleigha Wells.

     Afterwards all four dancers opened up for questions.

     “Since this university has many students in the College of Education training to be counselors, in what ways can they support students with disabilities,what advice would you give them?” said a audience member.

     “Spatial awareness is big to me,” said Ewell, “People need to be understanding of that and I am not comfortable the way people ask me certain questions and i think that is where my aggression comes from people’s lack of understanding. I try to be unaggressive as much as possible. That’s my experience.”

     “Trust me if someone with a disability said they’re going to do something, then they will. Believe them, don’t question it,” said Aleigha Wells.

     “As someone who is not disabled and from my experience, I believe the best way to show support is to always find a way to make things accessible for them,” said Schwarting.

     Another member from the audience then asked question.

     “How did you get involved with The Dancing Wheels Company?”

     “ As someone who is not disabled and from my experience, I believe the best way to show support is to always find a way to make things accessible for them,” said Schwarting.

     Another member from the audience then asked question.

     “ How did you get involved with The Dancing Wheels Company?”

     “Well I had an injury nine years ago and while i was in therapy I was told about it so i thought it was interesting so I auditioned and now here i am,” said Ewell.  

     “I also dance for the Cleveland Cavaliers and i needed something else to do and i joined in 2015,” said Schwarting.

     After the dancers answered all questions, they talked about their future shows coming up in the near future and gave out their website for more information at www. Dancingwheels.org.

Matthew Bowman and Meredith Aleigha Wells are seen here (on left) demonstrating the method of “shadowing” in dance.