Daniela Ciriello is a 10-year-old dancer from Connecticut. She dances at Dance Legacy.
“[I] want to be able to give kids who have medical conditions, or who are [Disabled] a chance to go out on stage and do what they love — Give kids a chance to share their passion with other kids like them.”
Tell us about your dance experience!
Daniela has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She takes tap ballet, jazz, lyric, hip-hop, and floor gymnastics. She dances four days a week. She is on a few competitive dance teams and competes two competitive solos. Last year was her first year going for a title, and she won two of them! She was very excited. Daniela works extremely hard on and off the dance floor despite everything she goes through health-wise. She is always practicing, and always trying to learn new things.
How does dance have a positive impact on your life?
Dancing has a positive impact on Daniela‘s life because, despite everything she has to deal with health-wise, dance is a way for Daniela to escape her reality of hospitals and being poked and taking lots of meds, and just be a normal girl out there on that stage doing what she loves. Dancing makes her happy. Dancing makes her complete. It is what she is most passionate about. Daniela can’t play any contact sports or do a lot of activities other kids can do. So she has thrown herself into the dance world, and it has changed her life. She is very determined. Even though her condition makes her tired, she lives to dance.
How do you want to use dance to have a positive impact on your community?
Daniela actually would like to start her own dance competition when she gets older. She wants the competition to be for dancers who are like her. She wants to be able to give kids who have medical conditions, or who are handicapped a chance to go out on stage and do what they love. Give kids a chance to share their passion with other kids like them. Daniela shares her story and her dancing journey on her Facebook page: Daniela’s Dream for a Cure, and her Instagram page: Danielas_Dream.
