Narrating Lives and Raising Consciousness Through Dance: The Performance of (Dis)Ability at Dancing Wheels A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Margaret M. Quinlan June 2009 © 2009 Margaret M. Quinlan. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Narrating Lives and Raising Consciousness Through Dance: The Performance of (Dis)Ability at Dancing Wheels by MARGARET M. QUINLAN has been approved for the School of Communication Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Lynn M. Harter Associate Professor of Communication Studies J. W. Smith Associate Professor of Communication Studies Gregory J. Shepherd Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT QUINLAN, MARGARET M., Ph.D., June 2009, Communication Studies Narrating Lives and Raising Consciousness Through Dance: The Performance of (Dis)Ability at Dancing Wheels (485 pp.) Directors of Dissertation: Lynn M. Harter and J. W. Smith This dissertation explores how discourses of difference sustain and disrupt the separation and marginalization of individuals with disabilities from the world of art, specifically dance. I enter the discussion through a case study of The Dancing Wheels Company & School—Art in Motion in Cleveland, Ohio. Dancing Wheels is the first modern dance company in America to integrate professional stand-up and sit-down (wheelchair) dancers. Through its performances, this organization challenges assumptions of difference as members perform a counter-narrative of disability. Mary Verdi-Fletcher, President and Founding Artistic Director of The Dancing Wheels Company & School, a pioneer in the field of integrated dance, started the company in 1980. For more than a quarter of a century, Dancing Wheels has performed, taught, and inspired children and adults of all abilities around the world. Additionally, Dancing Wheels provides innovative employment opportunities by supporting artistic integration between individuals with and without disabilities. In bearing witness to the lived experiences of artists (with and without disabilities) who have traditionally been excluded from public discourse, I provide insight into how members organize resources (material, corporeal, and symbolic) and aesthetic and instrumental rationalities for social change. Using the frameworks of post-structural feminism and narrative theory, I collected discourse related to Dancing Wheels through participant observation, in-depth iii interviews with dancers, staff and board members, and document analysis. The results of the data collection and analysis are presented in light of three research questions: How is disability storied and performed at Dancing Wheels?; How do the discourses of Dancing Wheels reinscribe and/or resist dominant narratives of disability?; How do legal, economic, and corporeal issues shape how Dancing Wheels enacts disability? The results covered five themes: Meaning in Motion: (Re)storying Persons, Organizations, and Publics Through Dance; The Art of Dialogue in Integrated Dance; Aesthetic Knowledge and Sensemaking in Organizational Life at Dancing Wheels; Science, Technology, Medicine, and the Dancing (Dis)abled Body; and Moving Through Realms of Exclusion and Inclusion in Integrated Dance. Ultimately I argue that this organization (re)inscribes dance and (dis)ability through dialogic, aesthetic, and narratively based communication, performances, and practices. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Lynn M. Harter Associate Professor of Communication Studies _____________________________________________________________ J.W. Smith Associate Professor of Communication Studies iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to those who work to make the world more inclusive. A few who have influenced my life: Lynn M. Harter, my mentor, expanded my understanding of what it means to live with a disability; Jack and Marty Quinlan, my parents, were my first disability advocates; Mrs. Sharon Wickland (1937-2008), my resource room teacher, taught me that having disability does not mean you are any less of a person; Mrs. Jane Mathias, my high school guidance counselor, taught me to advocate for myself; Laura Ellingson, my academic auntie, taught me that our bodies have a lot to teach us; Mary Verdi-Fletcher, President and Founding Artistic Director of the Dancing Wheels Company & School, taught me about what an integrated society can be. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS “No story sits by itself. Sometimes stories meet at corners and sometimes they cover one another completely, likes stones beneath a river” (Albom, 2003, p. 10). I’m working on a dream Though sometimes it feels so far away I'm working on a dream And I know it will be mine someday Rain pourin’ down, I swing my hammer My hands are rough from working on a dream I'm working on a dream—Bruce Springsteen My story does not stand alone, I humbly stand with many stories of love and support as I worked on this dissertation, my dream: To my dearest mentor, Lynn M. Harter, who guided me along every step (bird by bird) even before I arrived at Ohio University. It was an honor to be able to grow with you. With your love and generosity, I have learned so much and have been challenged in ways that I have never imagined possible. I have a richer understanding of the world from my feminist, narrative, dialogic, and aesthetic sensibilities—all inspired by our shared passion of social justice. Every precious minute you put into me as a person and my scholarship has shaped the person I am and continue to be—I look forward to the ways in which our relationship will grow and shift as we continue to co-learn together. I suspect we are both a good tired. J.W. Smith, thank you for providing support since I started at Ohio University. Benjamin R. Bates, it has been a pleasure to work with you these past four years, I appreciate your continued help with developing my argumentation skills. vi Marina Walchli, thank you for helping me make sense of the beauty of integrated dance. B. Scott Titsworth, your support throughout this whole process has meant a great deal. I was always able to come to you and receive honest and reliable feedback. You really care about graduate students and work to make Lasher Hall a welcoming place. To my mother and father, Marty and Jack Quinlan, “Can you believe I AM going to be a DOCTOR?” I admire your willingness let me follow my dreams and your help and love along the way. To Bridget and Michael, I am blessed to have you for siblings. Andrew, welcome to our family! Aunt Kathy Spicciati, my most meticulous editor, you never miss a “colon” or a “comma.” I have learned so much through your editorial comments. To the Haff family (Kathy, Bob, Krissy, and Derek), thank you for your love—I am blessed to have Cape Cod as a second home. Marie Thompson, trusted friend and workout partner, I feel blessed to have done this journey with you—you are an inspiration and I appreciate your loving advice, inspiring stories, and commitment to relationships. Joe Mazer, my fantastic job coach and friend, thank you for your willingness to work closely with me as I worked through graduate school. To some voices which have been part of my journey: Jim Query, Laura Ellingson, Arvind Singhal, Jennifer Bute, Bill Rawlins, Maureen Angell, Marina Peterson, and Tresa Randall. vii To my colleagues: Natalie Shubert, Courtney Cole, Casey Hayward, Melissa Brockelman-Post, Heather Carmack, Anne Gerbensky-Kerber, Laura Russell, Tim Pollock, Karen Greiner, Kallia Wright,Virginia Layaco, Jennifer Dunn, and Stephanie Norander for making my graduate work a meaningful experience. My friends, Julie Mooney, Sean Condon, Ellen Fabiano, Cara O’Connor, Jayme Feldman, Katie Gaughan, and Kelly Roberts for continuing to work on long-distance friendships with me. In an ideal world, we would all be neighbors. Finally, I would like to thank The Dancing Wheels Company & School for allowing me to be part of your organization. I admire the work you do and hope my research continues to help you make space for alternative understandings of disability. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. vi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter One: ....................................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 1 Historical Overview of Employment Among People With Disabilities ......................... 7 Organizations with Dance and Disability Missions ...................................................... 10 Dance for People with Disabilities ........................................................................... 11 Collaborative Dance and Disability Mission ............................................................ 12 An Overview of Dancing Wheels ................................................................................. 15 Summary