Spinning around in his wheelchair, 7-year-old Taylor Surprenant smiled as he and 10 other children danced inside the Special Learning Center in Jefferson City. Though his movement is limited due to cerebral palsy, the sounds of music and children made Surprenant grin.
With Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" blaring, the preschool-age children rehearsed a choreographed dance and freestyled at one point - jumping up and down, rolling on the floor and performing amateur break-dancing. SLC teacher Carol Gingrich pushed Surprenant in a circle as 5-6-7-8 Dancenter instructors cheered his name Wednesday.
"He's loving every minute of it," said Johnna Carrender, the boy's guardian.
The children, teachers and dancers were preparing for a performance on Saturday, when they will join dancers from the Jayson Michaels Energy Source Dance Association on stage at Lincoln University's Mitchell Auditorium.
As part of a weeklong workshop, the Ohio-based national dance company selected 5-6-7-8 Dancenter to host 47 dancers from seven states, said Energy Source Assistant Director Angela Harris, citing the high number of Energy Source dancers at the local studio. The dancers are at the studio from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The annual workshop allows the host studio to pick a local charity to benefit from recital ticket sales, and the Jefferson City studio chose the Special Learning Center.
But the dancers took the experience a step farther, giving the children an opportunity to shine in the limelight with their own dance act on Saturday. Sherry Bailey, owner of 5-6-7-8 Dancenter, said she wanted community children involved in the performance, which is open to the public. The little ones will perform their dance during the recital titled "The Magic of Motown."
The show starts at 6:30 p.m., and tickets cost $10 each with all proceeds going to the SLC.
Saturday's recital will be a unique opportunity for many SLC children, said SLC Executive Director Debbie Hamler. Dancing in rehearsals this week has allowed the children to "expand their horizons," she said, while developing important skills.
"Most of our children who have developmental disabilities do get occupational and physical therapy. Anytime these children have opportunities for movement, following directions, listening to the rhythm of music and responding to that, it all plays into the development of the sensory system," Hamler said. "If you've ever had a day where you were totally stressed out and all you wanted to do was get under a blanket and melt because you've just had it, a lot of our kids have that every day."
That's why the SLC has a sensory room, a place where children can relax by lying in a ball pit or rocking in a swing. The motions calm them before the learning process starts for the day, Hamler said. Music and dancing have the same effect, she added.
"Music is a good way to reach children and help them," Hamler said. "It's just a natural way to have physical therapy, even."
Kayla Nichols, a dance instructor, said the children have opened up more and more every day this week.
"As we kept going, it really helps them to come out of their shell," Nichols said.
Throughout his life, music has evoked movement from Surprenant, who has worked with a music therapist for three years. Shaken as a baby and later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Surprenant could not reach out with his right hand and arm. But music is his motivator, Carrender said, and when his therapist places a guitar in front of him, he stretches out his limb to strum the strings. Now, Surprenant plays the tambourine, electric keyboard and any instrument within his reach. He's been nicknamed "Music Man."
Though he cannot dance on his own, Carrender said Surprenant, who she sees as her son, is finding joy in the weeklong experience. She said he will perform on Saturday.
"A lot of it is just enjoyment. Because of his limited neurological and physical capabilities, there's not a lot he can participate in," Carrender said. "He's very auditory. He loves to hear music. He loves to be around other children - just to hear them laughing and playing and giggling."