Fourteen-year-old Veronica Siaba has cerebral palsy and can't stand on her own–but she hasn't allowed that to stop her from following her dreams of becoming a ballerina. With the help of Dancing Dreams, a Queens, New York-based non-profit that offers classes for aspiring dancers with mental and physical disabilities, Siaba and dozens of other girls get to do what they love without any added pressure or scrutiny.
"This is their chance to be a star," pediatric physical therapist and creator of the organization Joann Ferrara told the New York Daily News. "Really all I care about is that they have fun and are proud of themselves and their accomplishments."
Ferrara first started the organization (which is expanding into Manhattan in the fall) in 2002 after a patient told her that she wanted to be a ballerina but "nobody wants me." Determined to help out, Ferrara decided to take action. Now, her program allows girls between the ages of 3 and 17 to don tutus and glittery costumes, attend classes and rehearse routines. And though some of the dancers need to use wheel chairs, leg braces or crutches to get around, all of them are just happy to be doing what they enjoy.
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Doesn't that just melt your heart? I think it's just amazing of Ferrara–and all of the volunteers who help her–to start a program that gives so many girls such joy. Plus, as if her efforts alone weren't noteworthy enough, Ferrara makes the organization even more accessible by only asking for a suggestion donation from those who can afford to give it. Wow … if only more people were as kind and charitable as Ferrara! She seriously deserves a huge round of applause for her work.
But of course, the even bigger inspirations here are the girls themselves! I love that they throw themselves into dance and don't let their conditions–or anyone else's opinions–get in the way of doing what they love. They prove that no matter how young you may be or what obstacles you have to overcome, it is always possible to chase your dreams.
Image via Hiroko Shono-Cheng, www.hirokophotography.com
