DANI at Rikudiyah 2024
by Helen Winkler
This past Sunday I had the pleasure of watching history being made on the dance floor. I watched my daughter Rita, along with fellow participants and staff of her day program DANI Toronto, perform a dance as part of the Rikudiyah festival of children’s dance. OFDA members will be familiar with Rita as she is a member of our association and has participated for many years at cafes and events. Rikudiyah was founded by Teme Kernerman 51 years ago. Having a group with intellectual disabilities perform was a first for the festival. But it won’t be the last.
The program opened with the DANI group given the honoured position of leading the parade of dance groups as they marched around the gym. Then they took to the floor. They did a captivating dance to the tune of Am Yisroel Chai. With colorful scarves as props, the group moved with great precision and soon had the entire audience clapping, whooping and hollering in appreciation. They stayed very focused on their dance and ended by tossing their scarves in the air to great applause
Heally Landau is the DANI staff member who choreographed this piece. Heally has been teaching dance for the past 9 years and has been dancing herself since the age of three. In her words “I brought my passion and love for teaching dance to DANI… I love all dance genres, but most particularly I am a tapper – fun fact .”
Regarding her approach to teaching dance Heally says “In my dance teaching for special needs, I prioritize individualized engagement by modifying and adapting to each person’s unique needs. Whether it’s adjusting movements for mobility limitations, using visual cues, or incorporating sensory-friendly elements, I ensure everyone feels included and empowered to participate in their own unique way. My commitment extends to putting in extra effort to understand and accommodate all needs in the choreography, fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, understood, and worthy of expressing themselves through dance.”
With the well thought out choreography and the support of staff that were present as part of the dance, the group did a standout job in their performance and I look forward to seeing them next year!
The dance can be viewed on this public Facebook video: https://www.facebook.com/danitoronto/videos/1076572086781006/
