06/13/2026
Americans for the Arts: community arts advocacy storytelling campaign
Promoting Adaptive Ballet for Dancers with Disabilities through
the Power and Grace of a Pirouette
by
Baltimore Ballet School Adult Intermediate Level Student Ballerina
Robyn Hughes
On Sunday, May 24, 2026, when I performed the ¾ pirouette in my Bluebird Pas de Deux Variation (ballet partnered dance) choreographed and partnered by my Ballet Instructor Cem Catbas at our Baltimore Ballet School And Company Annual 2026 Spring Recital held at Goucher College’s 500-seat Kraushaar Auditorium, I accomplished a milestone my doctors during my early childhood would never have imagined possible for me, as the medical literature to this day states that my congenital genetic anomalies microcephaly, ventriculomegaly and legal blindness are not compatible with the level of balance required to simply stand on one foot. I hope that sharing this part of my ballet story will demonstrate the likely major health benefits, including fall prevention, in addition to the social/cultural/artistic ones adaptive ballet can provide for people with mild balance issues; and will strongly encourage continued public funding of community based adaptive ballet programs nationwide.
(The video in this post is an in-studio dress rehearsal version of my 2026 Baltimore Ballet School Bluebird Recital Performance, as recordings of our Ballet School’s live theater performances are prohibited by our School.)
