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MIDVALE -- After months of practice, a little drama and a lot of music, disabled students at one Utah school showed Friday how the arts can change lives.
The performers in Jordan Valley School's rendition of "Beauty and the Beast," all of whom are severely disabled, impressed those in attendance with a powerfully emotional performance.
"Music is powerful," said Jaycie Voorhees, a music therapist at the school. "Some of our kids who are main characters this year, a couple years ago I would never have though that they could do it because they would be too overstimulated in certain situations."
Voorhees said the play gave parents the opportunity to see their children participate in an activity that many would not have otherwise chosen to do.
Lisa Pieper's daughter, Dora, was an enchantress in the play. She said the first time Dora got on stage, she felt stage fright. Seeing her daughter perform was an emotional experience.
"I should have brought more Kleenexes," she said. "I just cry to watch the teachers as they work with the kids, because they love it just as much … "
Jordan Valley's principal, Mark Donnelly, said the performers made great progress while working on the play.
"Matt, the Beast, you look at the first practices, and you say, ‘I don't know; I hope he's going to make it,'" he said. "And by today, he knows his lines with prompting, he's funny and he's extremely into it."
I should have brought more Kleenexes. I just cry to watch the teachers as they work with the kids.
–Lisa Pieper
The performers were the main event of the day and knew it, according to Donnelly.
"There's a scene where the Beast fights our wolf," he said. "Yesterday, after that scene, the Beast couldn't stop laughing."
"A lot of them are smiling more than I've ever seen them smile before," Voorhees added. "Like Gaston -- I've never seen him smile as much as he has lately and it's incredibly rewarding."
School officials were grateful for the success of the play.
"All of the students, all of the staff are working on the same goal, and that is to bring this play together," Donnelly said.
"It just becomes a magical event that all comes together at the very end."
