Dancing Towards Inclusion — How Taylor Is Inspiring A Community
At the World Dance Competition during the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017, I had the pleasure of watching the youngest performer there, Taylor Carpenter, show her talents to the world on-stage. Her energy & spirit was contagious. The following post comes from her father, Michael, and details Taylor’s journey as a dancer both before & after going to Austria!
My daughter Taylor has been dancing since age 2, when we first enrolled her in dance at Miracle’s in Motion — a local dance group for children and adults with special needs. She has been dancing with them for 6 years now. At the time, she was the youngest allowed into the group and started in company class and tap classes. She quickly showed a passion for dance and has even joined her sister in classes with “typically” developing peers.
Currently, Taylor takes company, modern, tap, ballet, private classes, and advanced skills classes. As a young dancer, Taylor takes 4–5 hours of dance a week and practices daily. Her favorite thing to do is to watch the dances she is working on in class and to practice the routines whenever she has a chance. She also enjoys participating in multiple group, duet, and solo routines and has performed each in multiple venues from larger recitals to smaller showcases. Athletically, she has been exposed to regular swim lessons and has participated in tennis and soccer. She likes them all, but she always wants to dance
At 3 years old, Taylor began her involvement with Special Olympics through a local “Little Feet Meet” then through Young Athletes, Healthy Athletes, Unified Basketball, and most recently, Track & Field. Through the mother of another dancer, we learned about dance within the Special Olympics movement & specifically the World Dance Competition in Austria, where this dancer was also going to compete. As soon as we realized that Taylor met the age criteria for the event, we filled out an application, and submitted a video of her dancing. Once we learned she was selected, our life went into high gear making preparations for the travel and rehearsing for the BIG event!
When the day had finally come and we arrived in Austria, we were blown away from the happiness, inclusion, and welcoming attitudes we experienced during every encounter. The week was a busy one as Taylor participated in divisioning first, competition, then Closing Ceremony rehearsals. Every day in Austria, Taylor asked, “Do I dance for Austria today?” The night of competition, she shined on stage. This was where she was meant to be.
As a parent, I could not have been prouder and happier for her than in that moment she received her silver medal. Seeing her look at it and beam with pride at her own accomplishment is something I will never forget. In Graz, once she had that medal around her neck, she would instantly be recognized by the athletes from around the world. They would cheer at each other when anyone with a medal walked by, helping to reinforce a powerful sense of belonging among the athletes in Austria, something Taylor was now included in and we could feel. People about town would stop us, asking for pictures with her and wanted to know about this young, little girl who had earned herself a medal — It was then that we also learned she was the youngest competitor in the entire competition!
As wonderful an experience as Special Olympics and being in Austria was, it still did not prepare us for the reception Taylor received when she returned to school the following Monday. Her teacher had let us know they were planning a surprise pizza party in her classroom, but little did we know what surprise they really had in store. We arrived after school had started and the principal immediately opened the door and said “Welcome ladies!” to Taylor and her little sister, Mimi. Once the door opened, there was a roar of applause and EVERY student, teacher, administrator, and staff member had lined the halls of the entire school, just waiting to give her high-fives and congratulate her as she walked through the entire building! The art teacher had even made banners with images of her dancing. It was an overwhelming display of friendship, admiration, inclusion, and acceptance. As a family, this moment and the entire experience, has solidified a feeling we have had all along, that Taylor is a blessing and she is showing a whole community how to live, love, and include. Without her presence, in our lives we would not be able to experience all the wonderful surprises life has, just like that moment in the school.
Through dance Taylor has found a means for not only her community, but the world, to see that she is an included member of society, one who has special skills, who trains hard for her craft, and is a true athlete.
