How’s 2025 treating you, ballet friends?

I’m easing back into ballet-teacher-land after a few weeks of sleeping in, delicious treats, and stretching in the light of the Christmas tree.

A few of us ended 2024 with a Nutcracker themed barre, brain-teaser centre, and Party Scene repertoire over Zoom. Alongside the fun, for me, it was the first fully accessible ballet class I’ve experienced in several years.

I live with complex health conditions — among other things, this can result in low blood pressure, and what I like to call Faint-a-Palooza. Complications from a bike accident and worse complications from COVID made standing (and dancing) a bit tricky, so I use a wheelchair a lot of the time.

I know of great teachers who’ve taught with mobility aids; people who’ve danced with limb differences, while d/Deaf, blind, or disabled; and people who’ve experienced life changing illnesses and found a way back to ballet.

Maybe that inflated my optimism, but when I started talking about my disability, I was surprised at how often my experiences were minimized. As my health complicated more and more of my life, I needed to speak up and request accommodation in lots of situations. A common and frustrating response was the idea that I would either participate “normally,” or not at all. That I should get well soon, and return without the access needs.