HISTORY

In 2005, several families from Down Syndrome of Southern Kentucky attended the Fired Up for Down Syndrome Conference in Brentwood, TN. The entertainment during the Saturday lunch was a troupe of dancers from Memphis, The group, Company D, was made up of dancers all born with Down syndrome. Everyone immediately noticed the maturity and confidence of each dancer performing.  Not only were our families impressed with the performance, they were so inspired by the performance and wondered if they could start a group in Bowling Green, KY.

At the 2005 Buddy Walk, three Greenwood High students with Down syndrome performed a dance choreographed by a senior peer tutor at Greenwood. That marked the beginning of DSSKY’s dance team! Six others joined the team and name BG Rockerz was chosen. As the team grew to 15 members from 5 different counties, they become known as THE ROCKERZ! In 2016 we said goodbye to two very dear members, Angie and Paula. The ladies, who could still rock at age 55, were no longer able to dance with us because of illness and moving out of the state. Also in 2016, we welcomed a new member from Allen Co. Now the dance team is made up of members from 6 different counties in South Central KY.

We couldn’t have a dance team without the amazing support we receive from the families and our coaches. The Rockerz rehearse a minimum of once a week and usually perform 1-2 times a month. Both parents and dancers follow a strict guideline of rules and regulations to be in the group. THE ROCKERZ is not a dance activity for those with Down syndrome but a dance TEAM with the responsibility of learning and performing choreographed numbers for a 20 – 30 program.

THE ROCKERZ DANCE TEAM is often referred to as Down Syndrome of Southern Kentucky’s Ambassadors of Good Will and Hugs. Over the years the group has performed all over the state of Kentucky and in Tennessee. The program consists of a variety of songs and dances to entertain their audiences while advocating for all individuals with Down syndrome.  There is laughter, there are a few tears, there is information shared about the accomplishments of each individual dancer. The joy from our ROCKERZ spills over into our audience and they leave with more understanding about abilities instead of disabilities and that those born with an extra chromosome are more alike than different!

For performance dates or to book a performance,

contact the Buddy House at (270)796-5002. or info@dssky.org