STATE COLLEGE — When Krista Wilkinson, a Penn State professor who studies communication and language in learners with developmental and intellectual disabilities, approached the Centre Region Down Syndrome Society in the fall of 2011, she had one goal, to create an opportunity for people with Down syndrome to be able to express themselves through musical theater. With the competitive nature of theater, both in schools and in community theater troupes, she realized the challenges and pushback people with Down syndrome face when auditioning, rehearsing and performing in theater groups.
In spring of 2012 with the support of the Centre Region Down Syndrome Society, the For Good dance troupe was formed, and has since held weekly rehearsals and regular performances of popular musical theater songs. Pieces are choreographed by Penn State dance professor Michele Dunleavy and practices are run with the help of dance assistants.
For Mary Rose Valentine, a dance assistant with For Good, being a part of the troupe is more than just performing popular theater songs like “Greased Lightnin’” and “Mamma Mia.”
“I think that there’s this attitude in the arts that we have to take it seriously for it to be important and make an impact. This is some of the most important theater happening locally,” Valentine said. “You’d be hard pressed to find a room that is more joyful than this one. Everybody is so happy to be here. To have a community to dance and sing with their friends, and it’s a reminder that art that is fun and light can also make an impact and be really important.”
For both the dancers in the troupe and their family members, the importance of For Good extends far beyond dance. Bob Baldwin, whose daughter Dayna has been a long-standing member of For Good, shared more about the benefits the troupe has had for his family.
“Her biggest issue is communication, expressing herself, but this has allowed her to express herself more. She’s been more communicative since the beginning of this. Music has been a big help for her,” Baldwin said. “It’s been a huge help to get her out to of her shell.”
On Wednesday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m., the Center for the Performing Arts will host the Let’s Dance Movement Workshop for All Ages, featuring the For Good troupe. The workshop will take place on the Eisenhower Auditorium stage, where the troupe will first perform and then teach attendees some basic choreography moves. No previous singing or dancing experience is required, and participation is at whatever level attendees feel comfortable with, even if it is just clapping along to show support, Wilkinson noted.
The Centre for the Performing Arts is a part of Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture and serves as a bridge for the local community and academic community through the arts. Medora Ebersole, the education program specialist for the Center for the Performing Arts, is a key figure in finding ways to foster relationships with the Centre County community.
“I look for all the ways to find meaning and learning, bringing the community together to learn together,” Ebersole shared. A big part of bringing the community together for the Centre for the Performing Arts has been finding ways to address accessibility issues for community members, such as providing resources for the hearing impaired, those in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges and those who require support for neurodivergent needs.
“When I saw For Good offered accessible dance, I thought, isn’t that incredible. Everybody likes to move in some way or another. Movement is part of all of us.”
For Good makes accommodations for all skill levels and mobility abilities, offering wheelchair friendly choreography and performance assistance for other mobility challenges so that all members of the community can experience the joy of dance.
While the workshop is a way for the community and members of the troupe to join together through dance, Wilkinson also hopes the event will help to break down barriers that often exist for people with Down syndrome.
“One of the things that for me is really important is for the audience to be able to see the members of For Good in what is truly a leadership role,” said Wilkinson. “Often times people don’t realize the extent to which our members can do exactly the same things everybody else does, just in their own unique way. It’s a really great opportunity for the For Good troupe to be ambassadors.”
The Let’s Dance Movement Workshop for All Ages is free, but a $15 donation is suggested. Registration for the event is required. For more information or to reserve a spot, email Medora Eberosole at mde13@psu.edu.
