Friday evenings at the Benbrook YMCA buzz with the sound of music as a small studio fills with the rhythmic movements of a group of young girls.
For these girls, who navigate life on two wheels, dancing might seem improbable to some.
“They let loose, and they go have fun, and they just are being themselves,” remarked 14-year-old Mayli Gibson.
Mayli was born with spina bifida, yet her love for movement knows no bounds despite being paralyzed from the waist down.
“People don’t see is that I’m just a normal person. I just can’t use my legs. They think, she’s so bound to her chair that she can’t do anything, and I like to show them that there is another way of living, not just one,” she explained.
In a world not always accommodating to her needs, Mayli’s mom, Sami Gibson, struggled to find a suitable place for her daughter.
“We had her in a few different classes. We had her in an able-bodied, and then we also had her in a special needs class, but we always had this vision of a full wheelchair dance class. And so we looked for one, and when we couldn’t find one,” Sami shared.
Undeterred, Sami took matters into her own hands. With her own funds, limited experience, and just four girls, she launched her own dance class.
In 2015, she founded Ayita, a Cherokee term meaning “first to dance.” Over the past nine years, Ayita has become a sanctuary for the 16 girls, aged 4 to 15, who have joined.
“When they come in here, they’re not the girl in the wheelchair. They’re just a little girl that wants to dance,” Sami emphasized.
While the YMCA now provides their studio space, Ayita relies on community support to keep the classes accessible to any girl who wishes to join.
“Living with a disability is expensive. Caring for someone with a disability can be expensive,” Sami acknowledged.
Last month, she launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover this year’s costumes and recital fees.
Now entering its ninth season, Ayita represents more than just a dance performance for Mayli and her peers.
“It gives the girls a life. It gives them somewhere where they can be free and be themselves without being limited,” Mayli expressed.
