A moving experience, thanks to Very Special Arts

Alexis Hill, 16, appreciates every single movement her body makes -- even the simplest one like walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Last February, Hill was struck by a truck as she was crossing a street -- an accident that impaired her memory and at first prevented her from walking.

On Friday, Hill showed her appreciation for finally being able to walk again through dance, poetry and song during the Very Special Arts (VSA) of Merced County performance at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center.

"I'll never take for granted anything again," she said.

Several Merced County agencies partnered with VSA of Merced to present "This is How We Roll," a showcase of talent from Merced County's developmentally disabled and physically disabled community.

The performers came from various county programs that cater to people with disabilities. They included the Enrichment Center, Dream Enterprise, Deaf and Hard of Hearing classes from the Merced City School District and the Merced County Office of Education's Summer Youth Arts program.

Dozens of people watched as performers sang, danced and rolled across the stage in wheelchairs.

Hill said she got involved in the arts program because she needed something to do over the summer, but as the weeks progressed she realized how much the program helped her self-confidence.

"It helps me to help bring some of the kids outside of themselves," she said. "A lot of these kids are really shy and don't like talking to people."

John Russell-Curry, president of VSA, said many of the program's participants don't realize that what they're doing is therapy.

Many people with physical impairments don't move their bodies enough, Russell-Curry said, so this is one way to get them to exert themselves.

The program also gives the participants confidence, he said.

One young girl, who enrolled in the program last year, suffered from a stroke when she was younger. It left one of her arms motionless. Last year she was timid and would hide her arm, but this year she's more outgoing and less ashamed of her disability.

"You notice in the first year students come, they are hesitant, but in their second year they really open up," Russell-Curry said.

It's a program that helps them never take anything for granted again.

Reporter Jamie Oppenheim can be reached at (209)385-2407 or joppenheim@mercedsun-star.com.