Some of you may be aware that my wife and I do ballroom and sequence dancing on a regular basis. We were invited(with four other couples) to take part in a performance in celebration of dance, movement, community and friendship, closely linked to Hull's city of culture year at the hull College Riverside Theatre, the theme being Hull's maritime heritage. The whole programme brought together many disparate types of dance from across Hull and the East Riding. However the really important point here was that the whole afternoon brought together both able bodied and incapacitated performers from a range of groups, including some who were autistic, some with cerebral palsy, some who had some physical disfigurement, and a large number of performers who had down's syndrome. The various acts included ballet, modern(or contemporary) dance, 1940's jive and ballroom dancing, of course. There were plenty of both serious and comic routines.
To see the delight on the faces of all those taking part is a vision which I will long cherish. To feel the warmth of those smiling faces, and appreciate the support that was given to anyone who lost their concentration or who were simply over awed by the occasion by those around them was something I will long hold in my memory. The quality of some of the down's syndrome dancers especially was excellent and very moving. The sheer dedication and hard graft of all those taking part was plain to see.
Why am I writing this, you may ask? My answer is because I would like to convey the feeling of admiration and wonder at the sheer enjoyment it has given us, and the feeling of privilege that both my wife and I both feel to have been part of it.
The whole event, by the way, raised £20, 000.
