My love for dance as exercise is no secret—besides playing basketball, dance may be my most fun form of exercising.  With Zumba, hip-hop classes, and jazzercise, I am sure there are some readers out there just like me!

Now, just imagine my excitement when I came across this article on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/merry-lynn-morris_n_4058626.html. A wheelchair has been created to assist children with disabilities DANCE!  The chair has been in development since 2005 under the direction of Merry Lynn Morris, a professor at the University of South Florida.  Dubbed “The Rolling Dance Chair,” Morris has been sharing the chair with children diagnosed with spina bifida and cerebral palsy.  A video clip of a young girl named Jessica with spina bifida can be found through the link posted above.

Morris’s father underwent physical therapy after a car accident, and she remembers dance being a huge part of his recovery.  As a current counselor education candidate, I have studied the benefits of dance from an emotional standpoint as well.  The benefits of this chair are abundant!  Dance is a great way to take care of your health in a holistic way.

This article lead me to explore dance in relation to health and disabilities, and I learned of physically integrated dance.  Of course NCHPAD is on top if the movement!  The movement aims to integrate dancers with dancers with disabilities for exquisite pieces.  I am a little late, as NCHPAD reports that physically integrated dance began in the 1980s.  I found interesting and helpful information here: http://www.ncpad.org/919/5041/Physically~Integrated~Dance~and~Full~Radius~Dance~Company

My eyes are constantly opened to new inventions, ideas, etc.  What new ideas or inventions have you come across lately?  I would love to hear your input!