This past week "Dancing with the Stars" season 22 came to an emotional close as Nyle DiMarco, model, and Peta Murgatroyd, professional dancer, were awarded the coveted mirror ball trophy; making Nyle the first ever Deaf winner of the show that has aired for over a decade.
Prior to this past season, I had only tuned into the show occasionally when my mom watched, never gaining real interest. However, this season I had originally tuned in to watch another star dance his way to victory, but I was immediately drawn to Nyle.
When I first watched him dance I had no idea he could not hear the music, nor feel the vibrations of the beat (because it was not loud enough that night). I was confused when he walked over to the judges after the dance and was not speaking, nor looking in the direction of the judges. Then, I realized he was watching his interpreter sign the judges commentary. I thought to myself, "Wow this man danced without sound and he did it like any hearing person would, maybe even better!"
As the weeks progressed and I begin to learn more about his life and the person he is, I became inspired like never before. As a young man, he traveled the world alone, without an interpreter, in many places where people did not even speak English (his second language). Imagine being completely deaf in a foreign place, all alone. Nyle was and is fearless. He wanted to see the world and he was not going to let his inability to hear stop him from doing it and that is a trait he continues to carry with him. When someone comes along and changes your entire outlook on life, it is a feeling that is hard to put into words.
When Week eight of the competition rolled around, Nyle and Peta wanted to let the audience into Nyle's world while dancing. They thought the Paso Doble was the perfect dance to do it. Toward the end of the dance, the music, Panic! at the Disco's "Victorious," ceased and for two counts the room went completely silent as Nyle and four other men continued to dance. The audience and judges were in awe and many people became emotional. Judge, Bruno Tonioli told the pair that he found their performance to be "mind-blowing" and continued by saying, "The silent sequence was like watching five men dancing to the best of a single heart, connected by the soul." Then, having to go last in order to pull herself together, judge, Carrie Ann Inaba, said in all 22 seasons she had never seen anything like it. "It touched me so profoundly, you really are educating us about what it is to dance the way you are dancing," she stated while trying to hold back tears.
Educating us was exactly what Nyle did every week. He showed the hearing community that deaf people are capable of doing anything. He inspired other members of the deaf community that they themselves can do anything the set their minds too. He never ceased to push boundaries.
The following week he did something not many hearing dancers would do; he blindfolded himself. During an emotional tango in week nine with partner Peta Murgatroyd, Nyle covered his eyes for over 20 seconds and the man did not miss one single step. When asked why would he give himself an additional challenge, he responded by stating that he does not always rely on his eyes to guide him but rather the timing and Murgatroyd's body movements so he wanted to challenge himself.
The final two dances of Nyle and Peta would prove to be the most emotional and moving of the season. For their freestyle they created a piece that told the story of Nyle's life as a Deaf man. The pair danced a contemporary piece to the track, "Sound of Silence" by Disturbed. Bruno Tonioli, claiming to be "a hard one," said he was brought to tears by the performance, stating, "That was beyond dancing, that was a work of art."
Finally, Peta and Nyle, Team Redefining Dance, performed for the last time on the Dancing with the Stars stage, a tango/cha cha fusion. The dance was perfect, garnering them perfect scores across the board, but the best moment was yet to come. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba stood up from her seat and said she had a special message for Nyle, and began to sign in ASL (American Sign Language). She signed, "Thank you for showing us your beautiful heart when you dance." Nyle began to cry and would later say that he was deeply touched by the kind gesture. If that was not enough, judge Len Goodman would go on to say one of the most important comments of the season. "Nyle, you know what you proved is the only boundaries are ones we put on ourselves."
That is a sentence I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Nyle has not let being deaf in a hearing world stop him from tackling any dream head on and with full force. He does not make excuses, but rather finds a way to break the boundaries that have been built up around him. He will not let anything stand in his way from achieving what he sets out to do.
Nyle DiMarco is the founder of The Nyle DiMarco Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of every Deaf person in the world. You can follow the campaign on all forms of social media.
Also, if you have been moved in an even greater way, you can download "The ASL App." The app is designed to help teach people of all abilities to learn American Sign Language. There are various starter packs including: the alphabet, colors, numbers and universal gestures that can help get you started. Learning sign language is a helpful tool that could always come in handy and helps show your support for the members of the Deaf community. By learning ASL you can help expand awareness and break down communication barriers. I personally downloaded the app within the last week and I am already learning so many things quickly and easily.
If you have not yet, I highly suggest you take a look at the performances of Team Redefining Dance. As for the team name, that is exactly what they did. Nyle DiMarco along with Peta Murgatroyd proved that dance is not just for those that can hear the music but for those that have a burning passion, those that can feel the music somewhere deep down inside themselves.
