They're On A Roll

Talent has no boundaries, and the Rollettes are making their way to the top through dance

- ​​​​​​​Joy Mphande

A look of sheer joy sweeps across their faces when the music comes on. As the tempo picks up, they sway their upper bodies and bop their heads to the beat.

The dance has begun – but there’s something special about the dancers in this Instagram video, which has become something of a viral sensation: they’re all in wheelchairs. And as the song gains momentum so do they, rolling their wheels from side to side in time to the music.

Meet the Rollettes, a dynamic troupe of American dancers on a mission to empower women with disabilities through their art.

Every year since 2012 the wheelchair dance team has held a weekend-long live dance camp in Los Angeles, the Rollettes Experience, where women of all ages living with disabilities mingle with people who can relate to their challenges.

This year Covid-19 has put paid to that – but the Rollettes aren’t about to let something like a pandemic stop them and they’ll be hosting a virtual camp next month.

Disabled actress Ali Stroker and Paralympian Mallory Weggemann are lined up as guest speakers.

“It will bring greater awareness to the capabilities of people with disabilities, and help shift assumptions made about people with disabilities,” says the Rollettes founder Chelsie Hill (28).

“When I was first injured, I honestly just wanted friends. I never expected this group to just grow to the point where it’s at today.”

CHELSIE’S world fell apart when she was 17, just three months away from her high school graduation.