Wednesday 24 April 2013


Taking the world by storm, one class at a time

The local community organisation which I am choosing to feature in my story is e.motion21. E.motion21 is a not for profit dance company which is solely run for children and young adults with downs syndrome. 

For this article I plan to examine how important physical and social activity is for young people with downs syndrome. For my article I will follow the story of a 25 year old called Jacqui Wischer and use her experiences to add a story element to the article whilst also including facts and information regarding socialising, physical activity and downs syndrome. 

e.motion21 began as a small class in Kew and the demand for the classes was so intense that the organisation grew almost instantly.The teachers at the classes are experienced and qualified in their style and use effective techniques in order for the dancers to reach their full potential. 
The angle which I will take on the story is to use Jacqui's story and her feelings of belonging and success to demonstrate how rewarding the organisation is for its dancers. 

The organisation of e.motion21 has been covered in the media on morning talk shows and radio programs as well. The way in which I will differentiate my story from the others is that I aim to predominantly focus on the social aspect and discuss other factors such as depression in young adults with down syndrome. I will use e.motion21 and Jacqui's journey with them to develop these ideas a get the facts across to the reader in an interesting way. 


The primary research that has been conducted for this feature story is interviewing Jacqui Wischer and her mother Jenny. Jacqui is a 25 year old who is a very active member of the e.motion21 performing group. Jacqui was able to give me some insights into her experiences at e.motion21, and her mother Jenny was able to give me a very clear depiction of how rewarding the e.motion21 group is. 
I have also interviewed Kim Heymann, a close friend of Jacqui. Kim has known Jacqui her entire life and has attended most concerts that Jacqui has participated in, as well as concerts Jacqui participated in main stream dance schools, so therefore, Kim could provide me some comparison.
I also intend to interview a member of the staff at e.motion21. The company is completely by volunteers, and I am eager to discuss the fast growing pace of the company. 
The secondary research that I have done is thorough viewing of the companies social media sites and their websites. The company are very active on social media and are continually keeping the public updated via their social networking sites. 

As a local news reader I am constantly interested in stories about people succeeding in the local community. This organisation started on such a small scale and has grown so incredibly. It is such an amazing story which provides social and physical activity for some amazing young people. The story will also emphasize that this amazing company began in our very own backyards, this will make the story more appealing to all readers and give them a sense of pride in the council that they live in. 

Interview with Jacqui and Jenny Wischer



e.motion21 Website
The e.motion21 website contains information about upcoming events, videos of past events, information on class scheduling and a brief overview of the organisation. The website will also prove useful to me as it goes in depth about the nature of the organisation. The website outlines what the organisation expects from its volunteers.  

Jacqui Wischer’s Facebook page
Upon viewing Jacqui's Facebook page I noticed that she not only received a great deal of positive feedback from all of her Facebook friends, but that she also keeps everyone up to date with what she is doing in her life, especially her involvement in e.motion21. Jacqui made a status in February of 2012 saying that she “Always dreamt of being a dance teacher and I can't wait to be one Always dreamt of being a dance teacher and I can't wait to be one” and also “I'm a volunteer, helping at E-motion 21 and assistant dance teacher with the little kids. Like I always wanted to be.”


3.The politics of Down Syndrome by Kieron Smith 
This online book is written by the mother of a young girl who was born with down syndrome. The book is not a personal memoir, it is a reflection on how society could change for the better in their treating and judgements of people with down syndrome. This book will prove useful in my article as I will be able to apply the judgements made to the situations which the e.motion21 dancers may have experienced. The e.motion21 group also challenges the theories which are made in Smiths book.

4.) Greater expectations, living with down syndrome in the 21st century by Jan Gothard
This online book evaluates the fact that down syndrome is not a disease. It discusses the need for people with down syndrome to learn how to be ‘normal’ and to also embrace themselves and love themselves. The main reason I think this source will prove helpful in me writing my essay is that it contains a section written by a man with down syndrome. He discusses how he used to feel anger because of his differences, then continues to go on to how he learnt to love himself. 
5.) Interview with Cate Sayers
http://www.smh.com.au/national/full-transcript-cate-sayers-20120828-24ygf.html
The above link is an interview with Cate Sayers, the CEO and founder of e.motion21. Cate explains why she created the organisation. She also stems into why she thinks this form of organisation needed to be created. This link will prove to be extremely useful for me for my feature story, where I will discuss the positive effect this company has had and the feeling of belonging that these kids and young adults all feel.

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