In one way, freestyle dance events are ideal for those in chronic pain to explore moving our bodies safely: Given the lack of formal structure, we are not expected to dance with any specific body part in any particular way. Paradoxically, it is that very lack of structure that can undermine our safety in dance circles. I have been to many freestyle dance events in the United States and abroad. They characteristically draw a crowd of ...

Shortly after my two-month stint in a wheelchair, I was speaking with a friend about the whole experience. I'd been regularly frustrated by the lack of disability accessibility and by people's lack of sensitivity and awareness. "There is no such thing as disability," he remarked. "There is only a lack of accessibility." What a profound statement of truth. Similarly, I believe there is no such thing as the inability to dance. I find that the only limitations around dance ...

A few days ago, I got this e-mail from a reader:

"I have RSD. How can you dance when you are in so much pain? I used to dance all the time, but now I am in such a terrible flare-up, I lie in bed for 24 hours in pain in my feet, legs, hands, and fingers. I can barely walk. So give me some suggestions please! I need help."

As the rhythms pounded beneath my feet, the dancers in red quickened their pace -- stomping, twirling, leaping with grace and fervor. My spirit morphed into a scorching fire, burning in agony at the edges of my now-disabled flesh, pulsing with memory of what it felt like to be Alive. I could taste it. Chest heaving with grief, I wrapped the Ethiopian shawl tighter around me and turned my face from ...