Dancing from the Heart: A Wheelchair Revolution

The curtain rises, stage lights spread across the stage, and the audience is met with a breathtaking sight: women and girls in wheelchairs, suddenly breaking into an exhilarating and moving dance. This isn't just another dance performance; it is a celebration of strength, human spirit, and transcendent beauty. Every movement, every turn, every smile, tells a story of resilience, determination, and above all – immense joy.

How does this incredible dance come to be? Where did the unique idea originate? To understand the magic, you need to meet the woman behind the inspiring project – Michal Habari. In a conversation with Michal, the entire story unfolds. It turns out that for over 16 years, Michal has been leading the 'Dance on Wheels' project, which proves that dance can break any barrier, and there is no one who cannot dance.

Dancing from the Soul

"By training, I am actually a teacher," Michal begins, "and for years I taught as an educator at Amalia High School – a high school for gifted girls. But even then, during those years, I was very connected to the subject of dance and movement. I always danced and also taught dance in the evenings. When my fifth daughter was born, I quit teaching because I felt I had reached my limit, and then dance took a bigger place in my life. It's not that I planned it, but it just happened. Today I understand that Hashem saw me as someone whose mission in life was this."

Yet even then, when Michal opened groups and even established a dance school named 'Eylot,' she did not anticipate that her biggest project was yet to come. "About 16 years ago, a woman named Nechami Zilber approached me," she recalls, "Nechami introduced herself as working for the Ramat Shlomo community administration and said they had long wanted to create a dancing group for girls on wheelchairs – something that existed in the secular sector for years but had not yet been founded in the religious sector. It sounded interesting, but on a personal level, I didn't connect with the concept and, being someone who had never dealt with special education, I simply did not know how to approach such a project."

Nevertheless, Michal notes that after a persuasion journey, she agreed to try, but because some time passed until she gave her approval, they had already approached someone dealing with the field in the general sector. She tried to establish the group, but due to different backgrounds, she struggled to connect with the girls.

"They came back to me again," Michal continues, "and this time I decided to dive in and try. At the first meeting, four adorable girls in wheelchairs arrived. At first, I didn't know how to even start, but after a few minutes of awkwardness, I turned to them and honestly said, 'I know what dancing is, and you know what a chair is. Let's do this – you show me how the wheelchair works, and I will show you how to dance.' This candidness worked for all of us, and that's how the dance lessons grew and evolved, with us developing methods and ways to dance with the wheelchair over time."

For those wondering how a chair can dance, Michal clarifies that each girl in a wheelchair has a 'standing' partner. "We call them – 'standing' and 'sitting,'" she explains. "Using this technique, we manage to create amazing movements and beautiful dances, which are in no way inferior to regular dances, and to some extent, they are even more special and impressive because, ultimately, dance is not just about movements and feet, but something deep from the soul."

Performing on Stage

After a period of meetings, it was time for performances. "Our dancing girls took to the stage with their wheelchairs, and the audience was simply enchanted by the combination of movements along with wheelchair spins, place exchanges, and more beautiful ideas we wove together. We managed to fill halls with 900 women, and the result was incredibly impressive."

Who are the girls who participated? Can you tell us about them?

"These are girls mostly living in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Most have 'spina bifida,' a congenital spine defect, but there are also those with CP or other conditions, most of which are congenital, although some are acquired. I welcomed them when they were in first or second grade, and today they are in their twenties, some have gotten married. Yes, some of them continue to come to our groups to dance, not even for the performances, but for the soul. Because there is something healing about dance that simply feels good to the soul."

Over the years, something interesting has happened: "Our dancers’ group has become a prestigious club that top seminary girls in Jerusalem apply to join, to be partners of the 'sitting' dancers, and I find this delightful. The integration that comes so naturally and effortlessly makes everyone feel equal. Because everyone is important for the dance, and it cannot continue if someone is missing."

Currently, Michal notes that in addition to the group of girls who dance, there is also an 'ensemble' and a group of women. "The women who come to dance are also in wheelchairs, but their goal is not to perform on stage, but to dance and relax," she explains. "Most of them are not disabled from birth, but the disability developed over the years due to accidents or illnesses. But when we meet, no one talks about their limitations, because the goal is truly to dance, enjoy, and be happy."

"By the way, I also have a great time. When I meet the women's group, it is truly fun for us to be together. At the beginning of each meeting, there is a bit of chatting as women do. Then we move on to warm-up exercises for the neck, hands, and elbows – which are very beneficial for them, then I turn on the music and we immerse ourselves in the dances. There are songs of faith and leading singers, and they connect very much with them. I always encourage them: 'Sing out loud!' and it makes the atmosphere even happier and more special."

And who are the women dancing alongside them?

"In the women's group, we also have 'standing' partners, not seminar girls but amazing women from all over Jerusalem – one is an accountant, another a real estate agent, another an interior designer, and some are very busy with their own lives, but they set aside this morning to come and dance. Over the years, a special bond has formed between the women in the group, leading to mutual visits when someone is sick, and they attend each other's celebrations, hold occasional meetings or collective breakfasts, truly friends at heart and soul. Because it's much more than just dance."

Great Souls

There are also especially touching stories that happen there, like the story of Heda Kushnir, a graduate of the 'Dance on Wheels' ensemble and herself in a wheelchair, who transitioned from student to dance teacher.

"Seventeen years ago, I danced in the Dance on Wheels group with choreographer Michal Habari," she recalls. "I wanted to grow more, and Michal accepted me into 'Eylot School' as a regular student, where I participated in ballet classes with girls without disabilities or wheelchairs. After gaining skill and experience, I was offered by Nechami Zilber to teach a newly opened group, along with another partner not in a wheelchair – Zehava Levy Wilman, who stands by my side. I taught a group of ten primary and seminar-age students for three years, and I was amazed to see how there is a real possibility for anyone to dance. Because dance is something that comes from within, it doesn't matter if you are sitting or standing.

"The opportunity to teach was the realization of a dream for me. I was given a chance to share the knowledge I received with amazing disciples full of motivation and potential. I felt I found my calling: to teach dance to girls who love to dance, and through that, I understood that just as every dance artist has dance shoes – so the chair is a dance tool, and just as every artist has a medium through which they express their creation - for me, the wheelchair is a tool for expression."

Has there ever been someone who tried to participate in the dances and didn't succeed?

Michal thinks for a moment, and it seems she genuinely cannot recall such cases. "As a dance school director, my perspective on each one is from an approach of 'you have no competition with anyone, and you compete only with yourself,' because each one does the best they know how, and there is no such thing as 'not succeeding'."

But Michal is not content with 'Dance on Wheels' groups, and she is currently working on a new project that integrates women and girls with Down syndrome into the dance world. "There is no connection between this project and 'Dance on Wheels,'" she emphasizes, "since clearly, these are two entirely different things. But being with the girls on wheelchairs gave me confidence to proceed with another initiative."

Do you believe girls with Down syndrome can truly integrate with regular groups?

"Of course, yes, and we already have experience with some such girls. I believe that it is precisely the syndrome that makes them charming, and their movements have a special beauty. They dance with real joy, from the heart and soul, and I often find myself stand amazed and watch these great souls."

Michal pauses for a moment and adds: "Sometimes the feeling is that we are doing a kindness by helping such girls, but the truth is that we all benefit much from it. Personally, I feel this anew every week, because by nature, I am a very restrained person drawn to beauty and appearance, and thanks to these girls, I have learned to look at the essence, at the great souls, and simply appreciate and admire them."