Aaries Fitzsimmons has been a dancer since she has been 7 years old. She lives, breathes and thinks about dance all the time, says her mother Cheryl Burrs.
“It’s her life,” says Burrs.
Enter Amy Zentz-Pizzi into the picture in 2014.
Amy owns a dance studio in Lockport, but decided to open a second studio, Dance Images, in Oakfield after long time dance teacher Joyce Yunker retired
“Thought that was my in,” says Amy.
“That’s where I am from and that’s where I met Aaries and we just hit it off.”
Amy has a degree in Dance Therapy and teaches a lot of kids with special needs.
Whether its Autism, Downs Syndrome, heart conditions or behavioral conditions, she helps children and their parents.
“I called Amy and I was a little nervous and she accepted Aaries, but was still a little nervous,” says Cheryl.
“I sat in class a few times before I would leave to make sure everything was okay, its been good.”
In May of last year, Amy paired Aaries with another one of her students from Lockport, Mathew Krause, for a dance competition in Attica. Aaries and her dance partner won a gold trophy and gold medals in the competition, which was one of the highlights of Aaries dance career.
Cheryl and Amy have now become good friends over the past five years and Amy and Aaries make a great working team at the Dance Image Studios in Oakfield and Lockport. Aaries now helps Amy run her classes.
“She will help out with the little kids and she will do the video. If they are being naughty she says, “Stop doing that, Miss Amy is going to be mad.”
Amy says she started spending a lot of time with Aaries and wanted to be her advocate.
“Her Mom and Dad work all day, so I would go pick her up and we would do things and then I started dance therapy in residential homes for ARC three years ago, and Aaries was my helper.”
ARC then in turn hired Amy as Aaries Respite worker.
“There are a lot of service out there, you just have to dig and do your research,” says Cheryl.
Now, through a new program with NYS, Amy is now a Direct Support person for Aaries, which allows her to do more things than before.
Through this program, Aaries has now been able to accomplish one of her goals and dreams, to attend college classes and study dance at GCC.
“It’s my dream, its my goal,” says Aaries.
“Amy helped with college and I want to do it, and be in this studio and keep dance in my life, this class is fun for me.”
Since graduating from High School in 2016, Fitzsimmons has wanted to attend college and study dance.
So in January of 2019, Aaries is now enrolled with teacher Tara Pocock in the Introduction to Dance class at GCC. Amy takes her to classes each week and stays with her during the session.
“I come and sit in, Aaries does mostly everything by herself, but when I see her feeling nervous and not quite sure I’ll step in, but she really does this by herself.”
Last Tuesday in class, the students were learning expressionism, how you would portray what you are feeling through dance. The class has a focus on participation, working on different types of techniques, movement or motor skills.
“It’s great to have someone who is eager to dance and you can just see her passion for dance and it is just beautiful,” says Pocock.
“Aaries has been such an asset, she comes in with a smile, which gives me a smile every day.”