Frazer dance school gives people with disabilities an opportunity to shine

Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com.

Joe Brown loves to dance, and he isn’t afraid to show it.

He showed up one Monday to Ovation School of Dance inside the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer wearing gold chains, red shoes and a big smile.

Brown, 30, moved and grooved to upbeat hits like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” He twirled a scarf, swayed his hips, spun around and clapped.

“Dancing is my dream,” Brown said.

Brown has an intellectual disability. Every Monday night, Brown and other adults like him have the opportunity to attend “Kyron’s Extraordinary Abilities,” a dance and movement program created specifically for people with disabilities.

Dance instructor Crista Casper started the program two years ago. It’s named after her 5-year-old son Kyron, who has Down Syndrome.

“There were dance classes for people with special needs, but it was usually a Saturday here or a Saturday there. It wasn’t just a class where you could come every week and have a recital just like everyone else. That’s what kind of made me want to do it,” said Casper, 32.

The program has classes for adults, teens and children. The adult class is held each Monday.

The classes aren’t structured, which means participants can dance any way they want to.

“If they want to do the regular ballet or the structured classes they could, but a lot of times — I know for my son — it’s too much sensory overload. It’s either not enough stimulation or too much stimulation,” Casper said. “It helps them to be more creative. They’re creating their own dance moves every single week.”

Casper started the program in 2017 and began teaching at Ovation in 2018.

Ovation owner Aylish Lynch saw on Facebook that Casper was looking for a new place to teach the program, and offered her studio. She’s been teaching there since.

Lynch said Casper’s program is a great alternative for people with disabilities. While they would be more than welcome in any of Ovation’s regular dance classes, Casper’s classes can be adjusted in ways the others can’t.

For example, if they’re not comfortable with music, they can have a class in silence.

“One of our big missions here at our studio is that dance is for everybody,” Lynch said. “Having the KEA program has really expanded who we can have in our studio and what we can offer. It’s a great place for children and adults to come and just be who they are.”

Casper said dance gives people a way to express themselves without having to talk.

That can be helpful for participants like Scott Taylor, 21.

He doesn’t talk, but you can tell by his smile that he enjoys Casper’s class.

“When he first came in here, he just stood there. Now he’s starting to move,” Casper said.

Brown and Taylor live at KZL Agency in Penn Hills, an assisted-living facility for people with disabilities. They look forward to the class each week.

“They all love dancing,” said Zach Lander, house manager at KZL Agency.

Sue Sacco of Springdale Township has been bringing her son Danny Sacco, 38, and his girlfriend Stephanie Lichok, 44, to Ovation for more than a year. Both have Down syndrome.

“She just makes it fun, and it gets them moving,” Sacco said about Casper. “She makes sure each one gets to shine. They get their own few minutes in the spotlight.”