Those who dance often talk about the joy they feel when participating in the art ­– the freedom and the beauty of expression. There are some in the community who, due to different disabilities, may not believe they can join in that joy.

At Easterseals Rehabilitation Center this week, there was an event that smashed through that belief and showed people that anyone can be a dancer. Dancing Wheels, a nationally recognized physically-integrated dance company that unites performers with and without disabilities, again held a movement class in Wheeling, in collaboration with Easterseals and the Oglebay School of Dance. There, participants of all abilities were able to see and experience the joy of dance.

“Dance truly is the universal language, and I want my students to know that everybody – big or small disabled or not, has a place in the studio,” Oglebay School of Dance Director Cheryl Pompeo said. “And Dancing Wheels are artists. What they do is incredible, not just because they are breaking barriers, but because they are making art – beautiful art.”

Through events like this week’s, Dancing Wheels inspired not just with its art, but with its message, that resilience and creativity can lead to beautiful things for anyone interested in performing them.

“There are so many challenges in life, particularly for people dealing with disabilities, that it’s usually been a matter of exclusion then inclusion …You never know when you expose a child to this type of experience how it can carry over into other aspects of their lives,” said a donor who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Maybe 10 years from now one of those kids will be doing what they are doing, or maybe one of those kids is going to write the next great American novel.”

Or this event could simply be the inspiration for someone to push past what they thought were boundaries in their life, no matter what the subject, and strive for goals they might not have thought they could have achieved beforehand. Art is so often more than just beauty. It is strength. It is perseverance. It is broadening your vision to seek more. Events like Dancing Wheels provide the fuel to embrace those parts of art and reach your dreams.