Meet the Cork woman whose life's work is to make dance inclusive

WHEN Rhona Coughlan, a wheelchair who has spina bifida, tried to a dance company when she was 15, she was told by the teacher that there wasn’t a place for her. That set this determined woman, now in her 40s, on a pathway that she never expected.

“I ended up establishing Ireland’s first inclusive dance company, ‘Wheels in Motion’, at 18 which ran for two years. I did a performance in the Cork Opera House where the dance company I tried to was also performing.

“I met the teacher afterwards. She came up to me and said I could her company. I smiled and said: ‘no thank you. I have my own dance company.’ I just moved forward. That dance teacher did me a big favour. It could have gone either way. I’m so lucky with my family . It motivated me to move forward.”

DANCING IS NOT JUST ABOUT FEET

For anyone who thinks dancing is the preserve of the fully able-bodied, Rhona, from Sundays Well, points out that when you’re dancing, it’s not just about the feet.

“You dance with your soul and heart,” she says.

She dances both in her wheelchair and out of it. It is her ion and the “essence” of her being.

Rhona, who co-founded another inclusive dance company, Croí Glan, when she was 30, is now the artistic director of a programme that offers Ireland’s first professional qualification in inclusive dance. She was appointed a year ago to Inclusive Dance Cork.

“There are so many different partnerships involved in the programme which is based at Firkin Crane. There’s Dance Cork Firkin Crane where the chairperson, Yvonne Coughlan, spearheaded this whole project. The other partnerships are with UCC, the Cork Education and Training Board, the COPE Foundation and Croí Glan.

“We’re at the end of our first year which has been very successful.

There were 21 students on the programme, people with and without disability. It’s a real snapshot of society, men and women of different ages.

AN INCREDIBLE FIRST YEAR

Rhona has been bringing in facilitators with lots of experience in different areas of contemporary dance and inclusive dance.

“I co-facilitate so I’m always in the room. It has been an incredible first year. We want to keep the programme going and developing.”

Participants can enter the programme at three different levels. There’s the UCC route through the department of theatre studies where a student can get a formal qualification with two micro credits. Another way in is directly through the Firkin Crane where students receive a certificate of participation, or there’s a route through COPE where the qualification is granted by the Cork Education and Training Board.

“It’s about time we have this now in Ireland. We’re a little behind other countries,” said Rhona.

“Since I started becoming interested in getting involved in the area of dance at 15, the programme is something I always wanted. I got a lot of rejection when I wanted to be a dancer because there wasn’t anything to me. It’s so sad. 

One of the main functions of this programme is that it’s aimed at people who have a love of inclusive dance. 

"It’s also aimed at teachers who may not necessarily have a background in inclusive dance.”

Rhona is far from complacent now that she has achieved her goal.

“The programme is something we want to keep elevating more. At the moment, through UCC, students receive two micro credits. We’d like to develop the programme so that they can get a certificate or a diploma – or a degree and maybe a Masters. We’d also like to work with other companies, maybe internationally. The sky’s the limit.”

INCLUSIVITY AND DANCE

How do people react when Rhona tells them she’s a dancer? “The reaction isn’t as dramatic as it would have been before because things are improving vastly. We need to make sure it keeps moving in that trajectory. There’s a lot going on in the area of inclusive dance in the country. There’s many great people and many great clubs but there needs to be more inclusive dance.”

Rhona says she is looking forward to the next programme, starting in September.

“We’re hoping to keep progressing and are very interested in having a strong intake again. I hope it will be ongoing. It’s funding-dependent. We have been lucky to secure some funding but we need to try and get more. 

We are very determined to keep the programme going. It has been a magical first year and we’re excited about where it will go next.

A MAGICAL FIRST YEAR

Describing the students from that first year, Rhona says there are some who don’t have any obvious impairment.

“There are people who are on the spectrum, people who use a wheelchair like myself, people who use a crutch or they might have an intellectual disability.

“Everybody has been working to their strengths, things that highlight our abilities. That’s what I’m interested in. I want everyone on the programme to be seen, heard and able to express themselves, dancing in their own unique and beautiful way.”

The programme, which is free of charge, is quite intensive, taking place over eight months, from September to July. It’s rolled out one weekend per month.

“It can be very intensive over the two days but there’s a lot of fun as well. Friendships are formed and incredible work is being created. It’s very important that when students finish the programme, they don’t feel disconnected. It’s a continuum. It goes on and on. 

It’s a hub of interested people that can work in the area of inclusive dance and keep building a strong network.

PODCAST PLANS

Rhona used to also work as a life coach. While she no longer does that, she still uses the skill-set from coaching in the dance area. She is interested in broadcasting and has clocked up radio experience over the years. With plans to do a podcast, Rhona says if she can merge that with dance, she’ll pursue podcasting.

“I’m so happy to be able to say the inclusive dance programme fills all my needs.”

The proposed podcast will promote inclusive dance. Rhona is all about having the conversations around inclusiveness.

ACCESSIBILITY

In of accessibility for wheelchair s, Rhona says Cork is quite good “but there needs to be room for more expansion.

“We’re definitely on the right track. When I was in my teens and twenties, getting around wouldn’t have been as easy. It has improved vastly.”

She adds that when she sees a gap, she tries to create awareness around it or bring attention to it.

The youngest of eight, Rhona was always encouraged in her endeavours.

I come from the type of family that, if you want to achieve something, you go off and do it. It’s beautiful to have a dream but you have to put something in place to make it happen. I always had systems.

Clearly, Rhona comes from a nurturing background. And when she sets her sights on something that will improve the lot of others who share her interest in inclusive dance, nothing can get in the way of this determined articulate woman. She may have experienced rejection early on in her career, but that never held her back. On the contrary, it has driven her forward.

Anyone interested in Inclusive Dance Cork can email: [email protected] or [email protected].