Kitty began dancing when she was eight years old. As a young woman, she received a scholarship to the Washington Ballet where she honed her technique under the study of revered dance instructors, and performed in many well-known ballets.
One evening, while on her way to a dinner date with a man she’d recently met, Kitty slipped on ice, fell down a flight of stairs, and sustained a spinal cord injury. Kitty was able to get ahold of her dinner date, Andrew, and he met her at the hospital. Kitty remained in the hospital for nearly three years as she recovered and learned to live life as a paraplegic. A short time after she was released, she and Andrew married.
Reclaiming her passion
Now Kitty was faced with the decision on what she would do about her life’s passion: dance.
“I really tried to stop dancing. How could I dance if I couldn’t walk? I really tried to move past it…but I was very sad.”
It was Andrew who asked her a question that would change her life: “If you really want to dance…what’s stopping you?” That’s when Kitty knew it was only her fear that was holding her back. Kitty began working with a physical therapist to help her prepare for a return to the dance studio. Kitty recalls the first time she wheeled up to the bar during a dance class.
“Yes, people stared at me…yes, it was awkward…but once the music began to play…I knew I was home…I would be ok.”
Kitty went on to found Infinity Dance Theater, a “non-traditional dance company featuring dancers with and without disabilities.” She has developed dance techniques for dancers who use wheelchairs, and she advocates for the rights for people with disabilities.
And of course, Kitty still continues to dance.