The Lyric Theatre is pleased to support your nomination of Tasha Patterson Shirley for the 2016 mARTies Awards Outstanding Volunteer in the Arts. Tasha has enjoyed a life-long passion for all forms of modern and contemporary dance and fortunately for the last ten years our community has enjoyed performances by Wings to Fly Dance Company (WTFDC). Tasha is the founding director o f W T F D C and volunteers all o f her time to work with and create shows for her talented performers.
Tasha has been a supporter of The Lyric Theatre as a donor, ticket buyer and show producer. We appreciate the quality of talent and artistic richness and diversity she brings to the stage for all to enjoy.
We applaud her talent, resourcefulness and commitment to WTFDC, our community and all of the incredible dancers who benefit from her experience, motivation and passion.

Beautiful, vibrant, touching, talented, awesome LIFE performance at the Sunrise. What I loved especially was that often you couldn't tell what performers had the challenges, and who didn't . Truly an inclusive beautiful event, showing that we all are more alike than different! I loved it! Bravo to you, Tara & Tena!!

Sabrina Ahmed , who is diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, has been a patient at Martin Memorial Rehab center since she was 15 months of age, now she is 15 years old.
When she was 8 years old, she was invited to perform with Wings to Fly Company. Sabrina is wheelchair bound, therefore she has limited range of motion. Through Wings to Fly, Sabrina is able to gain a different kind of therapy, which she enjoys.
The impact of Wings to Fly dance performances are very positive for my daughter, she feels happy and enjoys being on stage, she is home schooled, so all the interaction she gets is either Doctor's visits or Rehabilitation therapy, but with Wings to Fly, she feels she can do so much more. She can "Fly" her arms reach out when she is on stage and after participating in 4 performances, the audience is left with tears of joy
Wings to Fly has been an amazing and therapeutic event for Sabrina, that actively gives her the freedom to enjoy, participate and just "fly" for a brief moment.
I highly recommend and support Wings to Fly Company to everyone.
Thankfully,
Naureen Haider

Please accept this letter of support for the Wings to Fly Dance Company on behalf of the children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities assisted and supported by the ARC of Martin County. The ARC of Martin County has had the pleasure and the direct benefit of being affiliated with the Wings to Fly Dance Company for the past eight years. During this time the individuals within our after-school program, summer camp program and adult day program have participated in inspirational performing arts programs that culminated each
year with the most passionate performances in front of live audiences. These performances were always integrated with students and adults without disabilities for a full inclusive cast of performers. This integration alone was significant in the Keith W. Muniz developmental learning process for the individuals with disabilities. But, the life changing experience for the students and adults without disabilities was just as significant a lesson. Wings to Fly Dance Company brings people of all abilities together with a common goal; to express the passion of music and dance through the abilities of the performers both individually and collectively as a cast. In my 35 years of experience working with people with disabilities, I have never seen anyone do it as well as the Wings to Fly Dance Company. The themes of the performances inspire and energize people with disabilities to achieve their fullest potential and the audiences leave at the end of the show feeling like they have gone through a portal that has removed all barriers they once perceived and ignited the possibilities of people to live, work and perform to their fullest expectations. It is our agency for persons with disabilities hope that you will provide the Wings to Fly Dance Company every consideration for their State of Florida grant request, so they may continue their life impacting performing arts work with children and adults of all performing abilities.
Sincerely,

President & CEO
of The ARC
Keith Muniz

I'm guessing that I was part of the cast of Wings To Fly Dance Company at it's birth. I reside and dance primarily in Japan but one of the most heart wrenching and yet hope-filled and inspiring stages I have had the pleasure to be a part of was the "Quest" performance. It was a literal rollercoaster ride with my pieces because of the various injuries I was yet in the process of healing while I was dancing. However, I have no regrets. Every day I had the opportunity to engage with the choreography, production, dance and camera staff was time well spent. I was probably in the most pain I have ever been in while preparing for and performing for a stage, but it has become a badge of honor. That experience paved the way to my being able to do what I thought I couldn't, and my becoming more than I, at that time, thought possible. "Wings To Fly" is an apt name because as is written in Isaiah, through my experience in that company, I have been given the ability to "mount up with wings as eagles. To run and not be weary. And, to walk and not faint."