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KAYSVILLE — Not having arms or legs does not stop 17-year-old Gabe Adams from putting on incredible dance performance.
The former Davis High School student began dancing several years ago when he performed a contemporary hip hop dance in his seventh grade talent show.
"I got into dancing because I wanted to prove to myself and other people around me that there was more to me than the kid that was in the wheelchair or the kid who didn't have an extra activity to do and stuff like that," Adams said.
Adams recently moved from the Davis High School boundaries, but up until about three weeks ago, he was a member of the Davis High dance team.
A lot of his dance training has either been self-taught or with the dance team at Davis High School, he said.
Adams said he started to overcome the challenge of dancing without limbs by realizing, "this is who I am, and that I need to get used to the fact of people looking at me and saying things."
Going from there, he said, he got used to the way his body works and being OK that it's different from others.
"I love the feel that I get from (dancing) ... I can be free and be who I am and express my emotions and feelings through it all and come out as a completely different person after the performance," Adams said.
Janelle Adams, Gabe's mother, said it's "really awesome and surprising" to see her son thrive in dancing.
"We've always encouraged him to not let his life be limited, and it's just awesome how much he's taken that to heart, because he's done way more even than we thought he could do so it's pretty awesome," Janelle Adams said.
Gabe Adams recently registered at Dixie High School in St. George, where he will attend a dance class. He also hopes to join a competitive team outside the school.
