by Silva Laukkanen

Dwayne Scheuneman is a dancer, artistic director, and teacher as well as a kind, funny, and all-around amazing human being. Dwayne served eight years in the US Navy and then in 1995 became paralyzed in a diving accident. After the accident, Dwayne found himself in the depths of despair, and as he was searching his way out of that despair, he wound up on a team playing wheelchair rugby and track and field.

In 2002, he was looking for some sort of cross-training activity when he saw an ad at the local VA. Someone was looking for dancers in wheelchairs. Dwayne answered the ad and enrolled in a class that led him to perform in a duet at Disney World four months later. He soon co-founded his own dance company, REVolutions Dance, in 2005 in Tampa, Florida, and by 2008, REVolutions Dance was performing their first full-length performance.

REVolutions Dance was created with the intention of uniting diverse communities of individuals with and without disabilities through movement, creativity, and artistry. Their efforts to achieve equity and unity in the dance world can be experienced through their education, community outreach programming, and professional performances, all of which are rooted in the belief that compassion, understanding, and empathy are the building blocks of a diverse and inclusive community.

REVolutions Dance has always offered weekly dance classes for children and youth with and without disabilities. Dwayne told me a long time ago that it was important that his dance company has an educational component because he wanted children and youth with disabilities to have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. At REV’s youth classes, students learn the same techniques and dance terminology that is taught in any dance studio, so all students with and without disabilities can easily communicate with each other.

I met Dwayne for the first time when I participated in AXIS Dance Company’s summer intensive in 2016. Dwayne had been a dancer in the company since January 2015. As soon as I met him, his positive and warm personality wowed me.

REVolutions Dance premiered their latest work titled “REVolutionary Moves” in January 2024 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Florida, where over 2000 public school students, almost half of which were students with disabilities, got to experience the performance. 

This remarkable, interactive, and educational performance teaches young audiences the value of diversity and inclusion through a unique blend of storytelling and professionally choreographed dances. 

I was lucky enough to see the premiere, and I was so delighted to watch the students move in their seats, participating and replying to questions about accessibility. Also brilliant in this piece was the way it introduced both linguistic and movement translations. 

Every dancer shares a piece about their life, and it is translated live from English to Spanish and Spanish to English as well as to American Sign Language. Then Dwayne introduces movement translations from one body to another. 

I’m very excited to see what happens next with Dwayne and REVolutions Dance. Dwayne was teaching second grade for a couple of years because he is also a certified elementary teacher. He is now focusing all of his attention on moving the dance company forward.

REVolutions also organizes an annual REV Youth Art Camp in which students learn from professional artists with disabilities about visual arts, dance, theater, and music. Dwayne continues to impress me with how kind, creative, and funny he is. He truly is an amazing human being. So, if you ever get a chance to work with him, take a class from him, or attend one of his talks, I recommend that you make the time for it!

You can learn more about Dwayne on the DanceCast podcast.

And check out the REVolutions Dance website for more information on the important work that they do.