A wheel to succeed
Performing indian classical dance is already challenging. mastering choreography, infusing every movement with grace, strength and elegance, paying homage to stories and characters can be daunting enough ... now imagine doing all that, but in a wheelchair.
it may sound difficult, but miracle on Wheels, the world’s first classical wheelchair dance theatre production company, has been doing it for almost a decade. This Bangalore, india-based company has danced all over the world, and it will be performing in KL, Johor Baru and Shah Alam this month in a series of shows organised by the mySkills foundation.
mySkills foundation, formed in 2011, is a non-profit organisation that aims to transform the lives of at-risk youths and school dropouts by equipping them with useful skills and helping them to get employed. it is organising the miracle on Wheels concerts to raise funds to build a training campus.
miracle on Wheels, led by artistic director Dr Syed S. Pasha, has won accolades at national and international dance festivals in india, the United States, Britain and Canada.
The malaysian shows will feature nine differently-abled performers, with the youngest being a 10-year old boy. each of them either has walking or hearing disabilities. each show will also begin with performances by mySkills foundation students.
each show has a different theme, including the ramayana on Wheels, The Bhagavad gita on Wheels, Durga on Wheels, Bollywood on Wheelchairs, Bharatnatyam on Wheels, Yoga on Wheelchairs, and Unstoppable, which combines several world famous award-winning wheelchair dances.
miracle on Wheels is on at the Temple of fine Arts, Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 22 and 23. it then moves on to Bangunan Jotic, Johor Baru on Aug 24 and Aug 25, and finally the midlands Convention Centre in Shah Alam, Selangor on Aug 27 and 28. All shows are at 7.30pm. for entry, the minimum donation is rm100. for more information, call mySkills foundation at 03-2691 6363 or email myskillsfounda tion@yahoo.com.