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I was born and bred in Woonona, and attended St Collumbkilles Primary School at Corrimal. I knew from an early age that I wanted to dance, and it has always been a huge part of my life. Most of my afternoons were spent at the Linda Shaw Dance Centre in Woonona, and then on Saturdays I would be there for the entire day. I just loved it! When I started high school at St Mary’s Star of the Sea, my love of dance continued, although I realised that it probably wasn’t going to support me, so I decided to get into primary school teaching. In my first year of teaching, I came across a lot of children with all different kinds of needs, and I became really interested in teaching these kids. A course was recommended to me called The Traffic Jam in my Brain, which was absolutely brilliant, and my interest in special education became a passion.
Wanting to gain more skills in this area, I decided to enrol in a Masters of Inclusive Education. I was then fortunate enough to secure a teaching position at the Fairy Meadow Demonstration School with the IO class, which is for children with a moderate intellectual disability. Within my first few months teaching at Fairy Meadow Demonstration School, I taught my class a dance routine based on the movie Men in Black, which they performed at our school assembly. They were all decked out in black tuxedos with Ray Ban sunnies, and the reaction from the other students, parents and staff was overwhelming. There were lots of tears flowing, and a bit of disbelief I think, at how brilliant those kids were on the stage. Of course I had an absolute blast as well, as I got to combine my two passions – dance and working with people with disabilities. I wanted to pursue this area more, and that’s when the idea for Dream Big began.
Dream Big Dancers offer dance lessons for children, teens and adults with disabilities, and I feel lucky that I get to combine my two passions and call it ‘‘work’’. Every day is a learning adventure for me. I love seeing the friendships that our dancers have formed with each other and with our volunteers, as well as the friendships and networks our parents and carers have established. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the look of joy and pride on the dancers’ faces at each and every lesson, not to mention the look on the parents’ faces when they see their child perform or participate in our classes for the first time. I am always telling parents ‘‘yes your son/daughter is doing really well, or they did this or that today”, and the smile and nod I sometimes get, gives me the impression they must be thinking ‘‘yeah, right’’. So I love to see their reactions when they see their child in class, or on the stage accomplishing these things. There are almost always tears, but the looks of disbelief, astonishment and, above all, pride in what their kids have achieved is what makes my job so amazing – nothing can replace those precious moments.
A couple of weeks ago, we held our second annual concert, and the turnout and reaction was amazing. About 200 people attended, and there were tears, laughter and lots of support for the dancers. It was a fantastic night. We are also very lucky to have the support of The Fraternity Club, who allow us to use their facilities for our weekly sport and dance lessons at minimal cost. They are fantastic staff, who are very accommodating to all of our dancers, and it’s lovely to have the staff members call in to our lessons to say hi to our students every week. We also have an amazing bunch of volunteers and it is an absolute privilege to work alongside such an inspirational group of people. Our lessons simply could not operate without their ongoing dedication, love, care and support. Each and every one of them holds a very special place in my heart. Anyone wishing to participate in Dream Big Dancers, either as a student or volunteer, can visit ‘‘Dream Bigteam’’ on Facebook, or contact Jacinta on 0402690853.