Dancing on wheels. Together.

As many of you know, I dance on wheels.

Yesterday we were rehearsing a new piece, and it was a mix of people from my usual dance group and some others.

One of the other dancers was Alan, also an active chair user. I met him on my first ever dance class - which must be around 5 years ago. I don't think I danced with him personally though.

Back then I was a total novice.

A few years after that I danced with the lovely Mark Stone at the very beginning of his journey with ALS/Motor Neurone disease. It was fun. I was a little more experienced, but Mark was a novice like I had once been - I think I danced with him one of the first times he'd ever used a wheelchair.

But yesterday was different.

I am now a fairly experienced dancer. And I was working on choreographing a short duet with Alan, a very experienced dancer (with guidance from our teacher - Cecilia Mcfarlane, of course).

The first moments were awkward. I had no idea where to start - I don't think I've ever even seen 2 wheelchair dancers dance a duet. My mind was blank - I had no visual memories of dances to use as a reference point, and no personal experience to fall back on.

But quickly it became enchanting.

I was dancing with someone who's movement across the floor was in the same language as mine. And it was a language both of us knew well and loved.

I can't put the beauty of the experience into words, but I will always treasure it.