“I really feel thankful to have had the opportunity to take part in Para Dance,” Suzannah confided, “It is accessible, affordable, non-judgmental, and above all fun.” Para Dance UK is part of the Communities 1st family and I was keen to find out how it is helping people with disabilities. Suzannah Rockett, born in Burnley but now a longstanding resident of Doncaster and in her late fifties, didn’t hold back! She is from that part of the world where people are forthright and speak their minds. She has been taking part in Para Dance sessions for some eighteen months.
Para Dance promotes inclusive dance as a leisure activity for everyone, demonstrating that we can all dance. It offers weekly dance sessions for adults and children of all abilities. The sessions are run online, and this means that anyone across the country – or world, for that matter - can take part.
Suzannah is well placed to comment
Suzannah is well placed to comment on the effectiveness of Para Dance. She was born with spina bifida and more recently, in 2016, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease which has hugely affected her mobility and overall health. She is also a former Paralympic athlete and competed in the Paralympic Games as a wheelchair fencer in Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), and Atlanta (1996). She won a bronze medal at Seoul and came forth in the other two Games. I was impressed! She volunteered in London Olympics in 2012. From her own experience Suzannah knows about disability. She is also interested in the promotion of human rights.
So, what does Suzannah think about Para Dance? “To be honest, at first, I wasn’t sure if it was something for me. Afterall, I thought, I’m a paralympic athlete!” she commented jokingly, but nevertheless with great pride, adding “I wondered if it wouldn’t be sufficiently stretching for me. How wrong, I was!” Suzannah tried it and nearly two years on she is pleased she did.
“Getting Parkinson’s forced me to retire from work in 2022,” she continued, “as my mobility was so badly affected. I recognised that I needed to keep active, saw Para Dance on Facebook, and thought I’ll give it a go.” She hasn’t looked back and today she does two sessions a week. “Para Dance helps me in a gentle way and helps me get moving,” Suzannah explained, before correcting herself. “Actually, it can be quite vigorous and, as it should, it stretches you.”
''We have a wonderful, wonderful leader..."
The sessions work well for Suzannah because she feels “they are run by a truly inspiring leader, Selina. She is a wonderful, wonderful leader. We have a lot of fun and laughter together. Selina is so funny – if she makes mistakes with a movement, she just cracks up! She’s very motivational and so enthusiastic. It’s very infectious.”
Selina will demonstrate the moves. “We practise a move, and then go on to the next part, and so build up the dance,” Suzannah patiently explained. “There are lots of moves but it is very flexible, and you do what you able to do, whilst also encouraged to push yourself wherever you can. We dance to music that Selina or members of the group have suggested.”
The format of the session is similar each time and this works well. “It starts with a warming up song; then we have the main song which is fast paced; and we then have a song to cool down.”
There is also a social side to Para Dance which Suzannah values. “We have a general chat at the start of the session. That could be about anything. For example, it might be about Strictly, which many people seem to enjoy. We also have a WhatsApp group which is lovely – it might remember people’s birthdays, talk about Morris Dancing, which one member does, or sharing with a member getting married. I feel very much part of that group.”
The benefits of Para Dance
For Suzannah, Para Dance allows her to focus on her movement. “It also helps you focus on concentration,” she added. “It’s a good way to start the day. You feel energised. I certainly experience a feel-good factor or a sense of wellbeing. It prepares you for the rest of the day.”
I can see that Suzannah throws herself into her Para Dance sessions. I suggest that she is perhaps living up to her surname – Rockett. “Well,” she commented, perhaps humouring me, “You’re not the first person to suggest that.” Hmm, should I have bitten my tongue?
Suzannah is warm, has a great sense of humour, and is very positive. She does not let her disabilities get the better of her. I suspect she brings a huge amount to Para Dance which benefits from her attendance. If groups, like Para Dance are going to work they need people like Suzannah to join in.
Selina invites participants to suggest playlists and Suzannah, who loves music, has done so – Lose Control by Teddy Swims, Don’t bring me down, by ELO, and End It from 50 Shades of Grey. Hesitantly, I suggest that Elton John’s Rocket Man might feature in a future list. I don’t think Suzannah was convinced.