Dance Group, Teacher Bring Out Talents of ‘Handi-capable’ Kids

The musical rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance starts, and dance teacher Sandy Garcia stands before the group of fidgeting youngsters dressed in white T-shirts with starred and striped sleeves.

Much like an orchestra conductor, Garcia begins to direct her students; they immediately settle down and get to the business of signing to the music.

Garcia does not like to describe her students as “handicapped.” They may be autistic, have a hearing disability, a learning disorder or Down’s syndrome or be challenged by a combination of mental or physical disabilities. But she would rather call them “handi-capable.”

The 46-year-old physical education teacher at the Speech and Language Development Center in Buena Park is so enthusiastic when talking about “her kids” that she barely pauses to take a breath. She sprinkles her conversation with her motivating mottoes, which she repeats over and over:

Never say never. Dream high. Make it happen. And a surprising one: Always leave them crying.

“I love to turn around and see tears streaming down [audience members’] faces and them digging for Kleenex,” she said. If audience members cry, an impact has been made by her special group, known as the Hi-Tops, Garcia said.

“I don’t care if we perform for five people or 5,000. We’re going to make a difference in their lives, and sometimes that difference may be for a fleeting moment or for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Garcia has been teaching dance and physical education at the center--a school for children and young adults with speech, language and learning disabilities--for almost 20 years. The Hi-Tops include school alumni and current students, ages 12 to 39. They have performed in Las Vegas, New York, in front of the Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capital and for the Special Olympics World Games in North Carolina last summer.

In the past, some people, including a few parents, have told Garcia that her dancers would not be able to fulfill her artistic vision. “They are never going to be able to do that,” she recalls being told about a number in which she used karate kicks, blocks and chops. But then she repeats her mantra: Never say never; make it happen. And the children, Garcia said, have never disappointed her.

One example of the impact dance, music and Garcia have made on a child’s life is Kim Shobokshi. Her mother, Candy Baracoso, said 16-year-old Kim was once a shy and withdrawn child with social and language delays. But no more. Baracoso said that after Kim joined Garcia’s group, the girl blossomed.

But it is not only the Hi-Tops who are getting an important lesson, Garcia said: She is inspired daily by her students.

The experience of teaching what she calls “a special population” has been an eye-opener.

She had come from an elementary school as a physical education teacher and was accustomed to throwing a ball at the students and simply telling them to “dribble from here to there.”

But that task proved to be more than many students at the center could handle. Some could not even bounce or catch a ball because of coordination problems. So, Garcia said, she had to go back to square one and learn along with them.

“They teach you not to take anything for granted. A lot of times, we as human beings forget how to do the simple things. . . . We all have challenges. It doesn’t matter who we are.”

Ana Cholo-Tipton can be reached at (714) 966-5890.