Hilltop Elementary Students Learn Everyone Is Different

As a part of its Character Building program, Hilltop Elementary invited four members of Cleveland's Dancing Wheels dance troupe to perform at the school Friday morning.

Guidance counselor Debbie Pilarcik said the assembly was designed to teach children to appreciate everyone's differences and to learn tolerance of others. 

"We knew we wanted to focus on disability awareness," Pilarcik said. "One of our Character Education Committee members had heard of Dancing Wheels and we went on the website, called them and they came."

As group members Ryan Dick, Dezare Foster, Jen Sikora and Nicole Deegan danced and wheeled around the gym floor, more than 300 Hilltop Elementary students watched in amazement and gave thunderous applause after each performance. They were even offered the opportunity to become "sit-down dancers" with the performers, doing such moves as "chicken lips," "lizard hips" and "alligator eyes." They then combined the moves, and several others into one big dance.

Dancing Wheels is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and is located on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.