13-Year-Old Refuses to Let His Disability Stop Him from Dancing

To dance is to feel the music and let it take you places, as 13-year-old Vako Gvelesiani proves.

The young dancer from Brooklyn, NY has been partially deaf for most of his life, and wears hearing aids in both ears at all times. He managed to make music and movement the center of his world, and was selected from 500 kids nationwide to perform with the Brooklyn Nets Kids Dance Team.

Vako intentionally did not mention to the selection committee that he was hearing impaired, as he didn't want any favors. He also didn't want any so-called disability to affect his chances.

"I don't want people to feel sorry for me," Vako tells the Good News Blog. "Hearing loss doesn't really do anything to me, except that I'm not really good in speaking. I'm not at the same level as my friends are because I learned speaking late… otherwise, it doesn't affect me."

The eighth-grader is Georgian, and has been dancing since he was 2. At first, he embraced his family's heritage as a pastime, performing traditional dance routines he learned from his father.

"When I was little, I was always listening to music," Vako remarks. "Then, I saw Michael Jackson and he was always dancing. I loved his dancing and it made me want to dance. Also, my dad did traditional Georgian dance."

Vako began taking Georgian dance classes early on, and later got into hip-hop routines. In sixth grade, he joined the Mark Twain Intermediate School 239 for the Gifted and Talented, where he's been honing his craft. He was recently accepted to the famed LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Vako's top priority right now is the Nets dance squad. He was one of only 17 kids selected to join the team, and has been bringing down the house with his moves since October. As a big fan of the Nets, the new gig means a lot to Vako, especially since he's getting to perform during the playoffs.

While Vako initially kept his hearing issues under wraps, he's since told his coaches, as he was having difficulties taking in the instructions after long rehearsals. The coaches are now sure to keep the room as silent as possible to provide further clarity.

Vako says he's a little antsy before each performance, but once the music starts, the beat takes over. He dreams of being a professional dancer or choreographer.

"Before I go on the court, I get really nervous because it's a full place," Vako says. "But then when I go on the court, I just dance like nobody's watching."

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