Staff, patient families and friends come out in their numbers to attend the grand finale of the Dancing with the St. Mary’s Stars
Staff members of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, patient families, supporters, and friends of St. Mary’s Kids came out in droves recently for the grand finale of St. Mary’s Dancing with the Stars— a wheel-chair and adaptive dance performance that celebrated the children’s resilience and love of music and dance.
The young patients of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children are battling complex medical and life-limiting conditions. The hospital uses music as a part of rehabilitation to help patients with serious injury and illness on their road to recovery. St. Mary’s own version of Dancing with the Stars included dances that had the children performing on foot, using assistive devices, and in wheelchairs. The numbers were choreographed by Diane Discepolo, who worked with the children, staff and volunteers for the past seven months to help them hone their dancing skills.
Amazing performances
The children showcased a diverse array of dance styles ranging from up-beat, fast-paced numbers to classical ballroom pieces, including the waltz. The evening started off with a high energy performance from St. Mary’s Kids, dancing to pop-sensation Katy Perry’s musical hit Firework. This was followed by an elegant ballroom duet to Come Away With Me performed by 2 lovely young ladies in St. Mary’s Pediatric Day Healthcare Program (PDHC), each escorted by a debonair staff member. Additional acts included a gentle stroll with our toddlers accompanied by staff members in Rainbow Connection; a pop, wheelchair-style number to Who Says; and an inspirational transition from wheelchair to assistive walking device for one little dancer who performed both Don’t Wake Me Up and Defying Gravity with her staff member. The grand finale was an incredibly heartwarming performance to Putting on the Top Hat by eight children with high levels of medically complexities, each lovingly wheeled by their St. Mary’s staff partner.
Staff members from both inpatient and PDHC programs and volunteers were instrumental in the performances, as they volunteered their time and talent to dance along with the children.
A special thank you to all the guests who came out to cheer the children on and offer their support, the young patients are already looking forward to their next big showcase.
Check out one of our many talented dancers and staff in action.
Sophia Defies Gravity from St. Mary's Kids on Vimeo.
For more photos from the event please visit our Dancing with the St. Mary’s Stars album on Facebook.
