Feel the Beat Connects Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People to Dance

When deaf and hard-of-hearing students first get onto Feel the Beat’s floor and the music turns on, it’s apparent they are experiencing something special. Some are in pure shock, others light up and jump around, and the rest? “They sit on the floor, lie down, and are like, ‘I never want to leave,’” Jari Majewski Price, co-founder of the accessible dance organization, says.

The difference is in the technology below the dancers. Majewski Price and co-founder Julia Faliano, who previously worked in special needs classrooms together, developed a patented bone conduction floor that transforms sound into vibrations. This is not like sitting in a car with the bass cranked up, Majewski Price adds. A device in their floor transforms sound waves from the music into vibrations, which travel through the body and activate the hearing system. This way, a distinction of instruments and rhythm comes through. Depending on the kind of hearing loss, Majewski Price says, individuals may even be able to hear the lyrics.

Read the full article on Colorado Parent Magazine: Feel the Beat Connects Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People to Dance