Have you experienced incredibly fun moment? Is that when you are playing baseball, dancing at a disco, or watching an art? These feelings may be useful for getting over any obstacles.
“SOCIAL WORKEERZ” works for sharing such feeling by using dance. Don’t you think dance and music are common tools to be shared your sense, rhythm, and what you express? “SOCIAL WORKEERZ” has a challenging work to connect dance and welfare, especially towards disabled people.
SOCIAL WORKEERZ hosts some events. Such as dance parties, workshops, and lecture meeting at welfare institutions. Their main event, “CHOI-WARU Night,” provides a place where all people without disabilities and with disabilities gather and dance sharing music.

More than 500 people visit their party. Some dancing-showcases by dancers and sharing time, in which children dance on that stage and have space all people can dance with familiar songs.
This event is designed not just for disable people but also more for all people as universal entertainment place, so there are some booths and workshops such as painting with artists, enjoy photograph taken by a professional photographer.

Tomoya Sasamoto, head of this nonprofit organization, is a care worker at an institution for disabled people.
Once, when he got an opportunity of dancing at a welfare institution, he was impressed by the response of the people.

Before we established “SOCIAL WORKEERZ” project, we had no idea how we can connect with disabled people. That’s why I got really surprised when children were so excited at dancing. Then I realized that we didn’t have to consider how we can “help”. Dance can easily get over any thoughts, background, and differences. That atmosphere was just fun. I want to liven up welfare by dance.

(right) Tomoya SasamotoPhoto: cococolor


Today, our concern about welfare is growing. However, how about our actual consciousness? I believe it is not difficult to make our awareness more near ourselves by making use of our fun, which is capable of sharing. Do you have ideas about how any other sharing tools can work like dancing?
[via Greenz.jp written by Chieko Semba]
[English Text by Yuki Hirayama]

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