The Pressures Of Authentic Growth

My 'work' with the autistic community through my peer support group Autistic Led was immeasurably impacted by the mere presence of Abbi and Diane, the students as a collective and the overall atmosphere. You see, being at the centre of a community as a Facilitator, a Dance Teacher or anything with communal roots has to grow. But how? What decisions do you make and what informs them in order to grow in ways that stay faithful to founding principles/people directly connecting to the cause? Let's explore this in today's Diamondx Dialogue with me, Callum Brazzo. I have to say (or type) that it is quite the full circle moment going from a shy child who would not participate in a dance class to becoming a central piece of a dance company.

I remember when I sat there, soaking up the environment of my first meeting/catch up between myself, the Founder of Diamondz Abbi and the front-of-house Diane.

Originally for the very casual purpose of having somewhere other than my home as a hub for creative focus and work-related duties, I was privileged to connect with more than I had bargained for as students came and left, chats were had about whatever needed to be done, aspirations for the future and more than a smidgen of fun.

When I was asked to be a Director for Diamondz, it was an absolute honour on a personal level but on this particular day, it also bore deep resonance for me on a different level.

I'd been connected with people in the past who had given ideas about what growth meant for Autistic Led but it is not just a name; it's a narrative principle in the story of us as a community.

Many people I can recall had either been neurotypical (more aligned with the idea of 'normal' as opposed to neurodivergent which would include autistic, bipolar etc) or they had a secondary experience of the autistic identity and for any other venture, I could have let these people take the reins...but that would be inauthentic.

What does this have to do with Diamondz, I feel you ask? Let me tell ya!

At Diamondz, from my perspective and interactions with many members of the Diamondz staff, there is heavy involvement from the students to sustain the organic nature of things, particularly seen in the Youth Panel! (If you are 13 - 19, this might be for you! - GROW | Diamondz Dance)

It's all so inspiring to me! I cannot cite many leading autistic facilitators upon which to model myself and Autistic Led on and I am not inferring Abbi or anyone at Diamondz is but there is so much that I have learned from Abbi and the team about communal empowerment in action. I have seen it for years through working in collaboration with Diamondz on Flow, Inferno and personal projects such as Ripples: Lucas' Perspective featuring Abbi but I truly felt it that day of that one meeting.

The business is nothing without the people to guide it forward with love, passion and all that human stuff that, to me, matters so much more than a cash-grabbing transactional exchange of service.

It may take longer than expected to shine and there may be external pressures to proceed at a familiar pace but the issue here is not with the pace. It's the expectations.

Altering expectations to fit an authentic pace that stays true to the root reason behind a blossoming tree is soul-enriching and I continue to gain nutrients from being part of Diamondz.

QUESTION TIME: Who or what have you learned something from?

Until next month, check out these blogs in the meantime! BLOG | Diamondz Dance

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