DERBY, N.Y. (WKBW) — Chloe Lewandowski has lived with cerebral palsy since she was a toddler, but she’s not letting it stop her from soaking in the spotlight.
Lewandowski started dancing when she was in middle school but had to take a break for a series of surgeries. However, thanks to those surgeries, she was able to get back into the dance studio her senior year of high school. She's now 21 years old and has been dancing since her high school comeback.
“I can express myself through movement,” Lewandowski said. “A lot of people with disabilities think they can’t do it, but I want to show them they’re capable of doing things they might think they’re not capable of.”
Lewandowski isn’t just a dancer — but a singer and all-around performer as well.
“I’ve seen such an insane growth in not only her abilities but also her confidence,” Krista Lipczyski, Lewandowski’s dance instructor, said. “The first year she did her solo, she was … tucked back and not hugely expressive. Now, the last two years, she did local competitions and had a standing ovation at one.”
Lipczyski is the owner of Dance Connection — a space Lewandowski said has welcomed her with open arms.
“When I first started at this studio, I was going through a lot of bullying at school, and it was just a hard time,” Lewandowski said. “Then I found this studio and she [Lipczyski] was like, ‘we’re happy to have you.’”
From the studio to the stage, Lipczyski said other performers and teachers from other studios are excited to join the Chloe Fan Club after seeing her competition solos.
“They’re all coming up to her, coming up to me, saying how beautiful that was and how inspiring that was,” she said.
Lewandowski plans to continue serving as an inspiration for others with disabilities.
“I’m never leaving this studio,” Lewandowski said. “As long as I can stand up, I’m not leaving.”
Lewandowski is collaborating with The Spread Good Squad to sell dance-themed merchandise. Proceeds will help her buy a wheelchair van. To purchase a shirt, click here.
