June 10, 2010: Participants in the MOVE Program at Erie Homes for Children and Adults (EHCA) will entertain during an adaptive dance performance at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 10, at the St. Benedict’s Community Center, 320 E. 10 Street, Erie.  This performance is presented by EHCA and Dafmark Dance Theater, and the 25 dancers from MOVE are under the instruction of Dafmark’s Megan Stuczynski.  The performance is made possible with funding by ArtsErie and the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts.

The MOVE Program, an acronym which stands for Making Opportunities for Volunteerism and Exploration, is a community-based program for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.  Participants are placed in groups based on personal interests.  Those groups meet during the day most weekdays, and the program gives the participants the chance to make decisions on how they would like to spend their time, whether its volunteering, enjoying a special outing, or otherwise fully participating as a member of the community.

“Working with the participants in this program has been very rewarding,” says dance instructor, Megan Stuczynski.  “Every time one of the dancers achieves a new step, remembers a longer sequence, or positions into a correct pose, I can feel their pride and excitement, and it’s truly something to celebrate.  Dancing has many benefits to each of these dancers, and the program has seen them take interest in a new form of art, become more outgoing, sharpen their memory and movement skills, and dance simply provides a healthy exercise, that’s been enjoyable to them as a group and individually.” 

The performance is free and open to the public. 

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