MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Ballet’s Tour de Force program aims to break down barriers to make ballet accessible and inclusive for all children.
It brings together dancers, children with disabilities and physical therapists for an adaptive ballet experience. Children as young as 5 years old can participate.
Julia Aguilar, 11, has been part of the program for the past five years. She looks forward to ballet class, and so do her parents.
“We really love it,” said Julia’s mother, Julie Aguilar, who is her daughter’s biggest advocate as Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin’s Board president. “We love the interaction with the other kids and the teachers. They’re just very engaged and they make it fun for her.”
Julia Aguilar’s father, Jorge, danced with his daughter during class. He leads a local chapter of the national group, D.A.D.S., or Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome.
“They really customize the program for her (Julia) and her needs,” said Julie Aguilar. “Some days are good days and some days are bad days. Sometimes she sits outside the studio for a while and works her way in. She’s getting a little older now, so she really loves it.”
Julie Aguilar said the program helps dancers of all abilities thrive.
“They tweak the program for the child,” said Julie. “If it’s too loud, she doesn’t like it, so she’s in a smaller group, for example. Some of the kids are in wheelchairs and some of the kids wear orthotics, and they can really wear whatever they want, or they can dress in ballet costumes when they want.”
Rachel Howell, Milwaukee Ballet’s community engagement manager, said the Tour de Force program shows how ballet can transform young lives. She referenced a medical review on the subject.
“They began with a small study and the doctors looked at this relationship pairing a child in an adaptative ballet class with a professional dancer, and honestly, 10 years later, here we are,” said Howell.
The Tour de Force program offers sessions twice a year for four weeks, with an end-of-class performance. Howell said it’s about so much more than dance.
“The most interesting part of our program, or the thing I think often keeps our families coming back, is the relationship that develops between the child and the dancer,” she said. “They really feel connected to Milwaukee Ballet. They really start to see themselves as dancers because of this relationship they have with a dancer. They start to see the work that they go through, similar to what our professional dancers go through.”
For Julie and Jorge Aguilar, it means everything to be able to have their daughter participate in the program.
“The kids all love it, and you can see the smiles on their faces, and that’s what we like so much,” Julie Aguilar said.