First Time On Tour: Getting Ready!

Propeller Dance has been invited to perform in Kingston for the H’Art School’s Able Artist 2011 forum on November 22, 2011. Isn’t that exciting!! It’s basically an experience for professional artists with disabilities to connect and share their work. Besides Shara and Renata (Propeller’s co-artistic directors), there will be other dance, visual, and storytelling artists presenting. Alan Shain will be there. He is a great comedian, storyteller, and dance artist. Oh and guess what. He also helped start Propeller.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Menka and her company Les Productions des Pieds des Mains. I am really looking forward to watching her and her company perform. I watched her video and it’s amazing how she has someone who also has Down syndrome in her company.

All of us in the performing company are really excited to go on our very first road trip—with 3 wheelchairs! Two manual and one power. We already had a bit of a problem figuring out how to get there, so we are all carpooling with each other. It will give us time to socialize, relax and to get to know each other more. And we heard that they were having a problem finding a hotel with more than one or two accessible rooms! Guess an inclusive, barriers-free road trip could be a challenge! But that won’t stop us!

I’ve been to Kingston before. I went when I was in Special Olympic soccer. It’s great going back there again sharing what we love with an audience of other artists. This is a big step for Propeller. It’s great that Propeller is reaching out and making connections outside Ottawa.

I can’t wait for this performance. It’s going to be really fun. I can’t wait to work hard, stay fit and to perform. And I can’t wait to meet other artists who share the same passion as us.