Americans with Disabilities Act Anniversary and Theatre in Motion

I am a proud man with Disability Pride.  I have spastic cerebral palsy and proudly use a wheelchair.  In addition to being an adjunct professor of History at Kean University (where I use my full name, Sean Patrick Dineen), I am also an assistant Arts-in-Education Teaching Artist and performer with prize-winning Theatre in Motion, with offices in Union County and New York.  This repertory company features artists with disabilities in performance and drama workshops, all original material created by my friend and colleague, Leslie Fanelli.  She has directed and produced beautiful, non-traditional, symphonic music videos that feature performers with disabilities, and I am one of the delighted performers.

These lush, music videos are about Frederick Law Olmsted (time-traveler), America’s great Park-Maker of Central Park in New York City and magnificent landscapes throughout New Jersey.  The videos, which have American Sign language, have recently received honors from VSA, a program of The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  This distinction is part of VSA’s International Digital Arts Festival, “40 Days Around the World,” celebrating the anniversary of this worldwide, arts organization, founded by Jean Kennedy Smith 40 years ago.  Of great importance is that the festival also celebrates the 25th anniversary of The American with Disabilities Act, which makes everyone’s life inclusive and better.  Congratulations!

You can watch these outstanding, award-winning, music videos by Googling “YouTube Leslie Fanelli.”  They are entitled, “Song of the Land with American Sign Language“ (ASL)  and “Back in 1873 with ASL.”  Enjoy!