It's hard to believe that only a year ago Beth was a junior in high school, a dancer, and in all uncertain terms living her best life as she prepared for college and a future as a professional dancer. But on a day that seemed like any other day at the beginning of her senior year, her life crashed into what turned out to be the biggest moment of loss she had ever experienced in her 17 years of life. Waking up in the hospital trying to remember what it was that got her there, wondering where her mom is and trying to piece together the loss. It is in the midst of recovery that in one fatal swing what started in the accident came to a gripping halt as her head hit the ground. Unfortunately, it was at the hands of someone who should have been her protector that she finally lost her ability to hear. But in her loss, she is able to reconnect and work towards her purpose, being a dancer. The most beautiful thing that she shared with her mother was their love for dance. She had already dedicated her childhood to it and as she was fighting for her life the one focus that she had was making sure that she, at some point in the very near future, after fighting through all of the obstacles she would be able to use other means of hearing in order to dance. This is a beautiful and emotional story that deals with domestic situations that have the potential to stop us from achieving our dreams but if we really focus on what's most important in front of us, we will always leave what's behind us in the rearview mirror. This is a story of resilience, recovery, and the bond between mother and daughter who lived to indulge in dance.
Indulge in Dance
*This scene requires the actor do sign language and dance. The type of dance is not specifically stated only that they do dance.*
(Scene opens with Beth, an eighteen-year-old solemnly holds a pair of dance shoes. She loves them, cares for them almost like they are as precious as a child. She wants to put them on but suddenly she decides to throw them to the ground and turns towards the audience.)
(She angrily signs “My mother loved dance so I loved dance and now… I just can’t dance.” She scans the audiences and realizes no one understands her. She signs and mouths “Let me go back.” She transitions back to being a little girl, pigtails, all smiles. She does a simple five-year-old tap dance. She sings while she dances. Think recital.)
(A five-year-old Beth, sings as she struggles through the cute little dance) “I am a dancer I'm so cute. Shuffle ball change step. Shuffle ball change step. I am a dancer I'm so cute, cute, cute, cute, cut,e cute.” (she immediately takes a bow and begins to clap for herself and wave to the audience) “Hi mom!” (yelling) How did I do? Did I do good?” (she waves again and begins to clap, the clap transitions her into teenage Beth. She is now clapping and laughing at the memory of herself.) Wow, give it up for five-year-old me. (takes another bow) I was truly born to dance. Some people live their whole lives not knowing what it is they're supposed to be doing with their time. Sort of coasting through life a little bit lost not truly understanding what God's purpose was for them, or if they even had a purpose, and if they know what their purpose is they just don't know how to achieve it. So, people give up. And I don't mean that in a negative or a bad way but at this point in my life as I'm telling you this story, I was 17 years old and it was the beginning of my summer, the summer before my senior year of high school.