Eastbayri.com

Sean Muldoon is a busy 13-year-old. He bowls every Sunday morning, plays baseball for the Wampanoag Warriors and joins his soccer team for a game on Wednesday nights.

“There’s always something going on,” said his dad, Stephen Muldoon of Barrington.

But when asked what activity his son loves most, Mr. Muldoon pointed to a studio floor at Festival Ballet Providence (FBP), where Sean was rehearsing a routine with other students last week.

“Sometimes he doesn’t want to go bowling or he doesn’t want to go to baseball, but he always wants to be here,” he said.

Sean makes that clear by the sheer exuberance he displays while going through a choreographed routine. He hops to the mat that marks his spot, twirls like a top and twists his arms in an expressive manner.

Sean’s part of FBP’s Adaptive Dance Program, designed to foster a love of dance and creative expression in children with Down syndrome. Another Barrington student, Madison Burbank, 8, is also part of the program, which is modeled after an earlier initiative by Boston Ballet.

About a decade ago, Gino Di Marco, a Boston Ballet dancer, and Mickey Cassella, director of the Children’s Hospital Boston’s Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy, developed a dance program specifically for children with Down syndrome. Boston Ballet started the adaptive program with 11 children in 2002 and it’s since grown to 40 students.

“We have a relationship with Gino because he’s danced with us,” said Mary Ann Mayer, director of FBP’s Center for Dance Education. “He’s retired now as a dancer, but he’s choreographed for us too. We told him we’d like to do the same program.”

FBP started its own adaptive program five years ago. The company teamed with Meeting Street School for a while, but lately has had a difficult time coordinating classes with its therapist. “But there still is a relationship we’d like to maintain with them,” said Ms. Mayer.

The program has proven successful with the nine students in the class, and last year the company added a class for children ages 3-5.

“The true testimony is that these kids come at 8 o’clock on Saturday morning and they don’t miss it,” said Ms. Mayer. “Besides the fact that they really do want to dance and this is providing that for them, they’re also developing confidence, they’re developing a relationship with the other kids in class. It’s a bonding experience outside of school. And there aren’t any boundaries.”

Sean, who’s in seventh grade at Barrington Middle School, was one of the original students in the adaptive program. Mr. Muldoon and his wife, Marguerite, learned about it through Solutions CEDARR, a Family Service of R.I. program that provides services and resources for families with children who have significant challenges.

Mr. Muldoon said her son loves dancing so much that he could do it in front of a TV. “But this a structured environment and it’s kind of an exercise, it’s kind of a therapy,” he said. “Physically, it teaches the kids balance, it teaches them movement. A lot of kids with Down syndrome have loose joints and ligaments, so it helps tighten them up. The kids don’t realize it’s therapeutic. They’re dancing and having fun.”

A ‘bond through dance’

The social component is important as well, he said.

“They’ve created quite a bond through dance. It’s so intricate with their partners; they have to move at the same time. They’re very close. And if somebody’s not there, they all ask why,” he said.

Madison’s mom, Paula Burbank, agreed. Her daughter, who’s in second grade in an integrated class in Seekonk, has been going to FBP for three years and also takes a regular dance class at Danceworks in Bristol. The adaptive class, however, gives Madison a chance to be with other kids at her own level, she said.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Ms. Burbank, noting that the program has taught Madison how to interact better with other children while following tightly choreographed dance steps. “Her balance has really improved and, socially, she just loves to be with the kids and perform.”

Quick learners

Ms. Burbank said while the students have “come a long way since they’ve first started,” parents were amazed how quickly the children picked up on the choreography early on.

“When we went to see it the first time, we couldn’t believe how well they got it together right away,” said Ms. Burbank.

Ms. Mayer said while the dynamics of the class change every week — some students may come in tired or less focused — “Once they establish what they have to do, they never forget.”

She found that out while covering for Erin Gildea, who normally leads the Saturday classes along with Lauren Knightly. Ms. Mayer demonstrated a dance step only slightly different than the one Ms. Gildea had showed the class, and the students let her know about it.

“They’ll say, ‘That’s not what we usually do.’ It’s amazing how they remember,” said Ms. Mayer.

If there’s a trick to teaching ballet to children with Down syndrome, it’s to treat them like everyone else, she said.

“You want to please them all the time and make them happy and enjoy the moment. So when you first go in as a teacher you’re reluctant to say, ‘You can’t do that,’” said Ms. Mayer. “Actually, requiring from them an expectation and disciplining them is just as important. It helps them enjoy it more. They’ll rise to whatever expectation you provide.

“If you treat them like anyone else and treat them with respect and provide them consistency and have expectations from them, it’s not hard. It’s a joy, really.”

Time for the big stage

Although the students in the adaptive program perform in the rehearsal space regularly for family and friends, they’ve never done their choreographed routines on the big stage before. They will next week, however, when FBP opens its season with a major fund-raising gala, “Together We Dance” at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Providence.

“This is their first foray on the stage — their first big gig,” said Mr. Muldoon.

“They’ve wanted to perform ever since they’ve been here, so we thought this was the right opportunity,” added Ms. Mayer.

The students will be dancing to “The Gift,” an Aaron Copeland composition as performed by cellist Yo-yo Ma.

“We started the choreography two weeks ago, so we’re doing really well,” she said.

Are they nervous? “I don’t know,” said Ms. Mayer. “We’ll find out when we get there!”

Ms. Burbank said the kids are looking forward to their big debut. “They’ve got new costumes and they’re so excited,” she said, adding that the Adaptive Dance Program is special because it allows children with Down syndrome to have access to major talent in the field of ballet.

“I really appreciate that they gave our kids the opportunity to be part of Festival Ballet,” she said. “It’s so nice that they can go to a professional dance studio and be treated that well.”

Fund-raiser Oct. 19

If you want to see Sean Muldoon and Paula Burbank of Barrington perform on the big stage along with the other students in Festival Ballet Providence’s (FBP) Adaptive Dance Program, you’ll have a golden opportunity Wednesday, Oct. 19.

That’s when the ballet company opens its season with a big fund-raising gala called “Together We Dance” at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Providence. Some of the world’s best dance companies — American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Houston Ballet, Lithuanian National Ballet and New York City Ballet among them — will take the stage to honor and support FBP. All the professional dancers are donating their time, and Veterans Memorial Auditorium has waived its rental fee for the event.

“The level of people coming out to support us speaks to the fact that they feel that we’re a worthy ballet company,” said Ms. Mayer.

Dancing alongside the professionals will be children from the Adaptive Dance Program as well as other FBP students. The fund-raiser is needed to help maintain the classes and programs offered by the nonprofit dance company and to increase financial assistance for students.

“It’s a big benefit for us because we’re in a situation where we need a huge influx of cash,” said Ms. Mayer.

‘Together We Dance’ Gala

WHERE: Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m.

COST: $25-$125

MORE INFO: 401/421-ARTS or www.festivalballet.com