a176
1997
a176
2008
Where are
This month Laurent
meets up again with
Bill McKechnie
they now...
We fi rst met Bill way back in October 1997 still true of today is what Bill’s work and
while we were “Out and About” and his dancing have been about since the start.
group of nine wheelchair users had come He remembers that in 1997, a young girl
together to prove that it was possible had come into a wheelchair to his class. He
“for able bodied dancers to dance beside says: “She found it too hard and at the end
wheelchairs dancers.” The then newly of the night her Mum asked if there were
created dance troupe were mastering lots any dances available for her daughter. I
of new dances. Elvira, Stomping it Out, borrowed a wheelchair from a friend, spent
Macarena, Mighty Matador and The Cotton three hours in my kitchen eventually coming
Eye Mixer were all the rage for them and up with the idea of transferring the feet
because the group also had four able bodied movements to the hands.”
dancers in their midst they wanted to show
that “able bodied and wheelchair dancers So what has Bill been up to since? He
could not only dance next to one another says “For the past three years I have been
but WITH each other.” A sentiment we saw teaching Line dancing in primary schools to
repeated in 2008 when Linedancer visited children from seven years onwards and more
the French festival in Cagnes recently, I have been showing the elderly
how to Line dance with their hands which
In 1997, Linedancer wrote “Whoever, has proven a big hit with nursing homes!” I
whatever you are, anyone can get on the ask how does he go about organising a hand
fl oor and Line dance.” This sentiment dance and he replies: “I just think of a Line
28
WHERE ARE THEY Oct 1 29/8/08, 10:57:10 am
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