Dancing without
the Music

Written by Jessica Poulter

Most performers dance by listening to music, but for hearing-impaired Transit Dance student Ryanna Lawson, she dances by listening to her heart. 

Contemporary dancer Ryanna Lawson has struggled with her auditory perception since the age of four where she was first diagnosed with a hearing impairment that forced her to wear hearing aids.

“At that stage, I still had low frequency hearing in both ears but limited high frequency in both. As I got older, my hearing continued to decline. When I was nine-years-old, we found out I was completely deaf in my left ear and had minimal hearing in my right,” said Ryanna. 

Born and bred on the Gold Coast, Ryanna found dance to be an escapism from the mounting social and academic pressures she faced during her schooling. She was on the receiving end of discrimination for losing her hearing in both dance and education, but continued to pursue dance because of her passion for the art form. 

“Dance was the one thing that made me feel like me and allowed me to express myself, connecting with every fibre of my being. With my own internal drive and the support of my family, I kept pursing dance despite the ongoing discrimination, because I loved it. It made me feel strong, in control and free all at the same time.”

Ryanna discovered the Transit Dance Contemporary Pre Professional course after completing a Certificate IV in Dance in Queensland. She admired Transit’s inclusive approach to teaching, and so she packed her bags and was en route to Melbourne to study a Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance) and a Certificate IV in Dance Teaching & Management. 

“Because I have a true passion for dance, and I have worked hard at overcoming so many obstacles to be good it. In the field of contemporary dance, I also feel accepted for my unique skill set and that instead of it being a disadvantage in life, contemporary dance allows me to use it to my advantage.”

Ryanna can communicate via lip reading and Australian sign language (AUSLAN). During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic when Melbourne endured lockdown, Transit Dance upheld its inclusive nature by hosting a Zoom AUSLAN class for all students to learn the basics of sign language—a skill that could cross pollenate in everyday classes and in their professional careers. 

Without her implant, Ryanna is profoundly deaf. But with her implant, she is able to partially hear in her right ear. Accents in the music are often too soft for her to pick up, so she relies on her other senses like spatial awareness, peripheral vision, counting out steps and feeling the music.

“Transit Dance understands that sometimes I process things different to everyone else and the teachers work with me to ensure I am getting the best out of every class,” she said. 

Ryanna admitted that she will undoubtedly face challenges and hurdles in her future. Currently the industry does not advocate for performers without all their senses—particularly dancers. Ryanna’s dreams are not only focused on being a company artist—she wants to become a mover and shaker of the industry, creating awareness of a what an inclusive industry could look like with hearing-impaired performers and spectators. 

“I know I have a hard road ahead of me making it in the dance world being deaf, and that choreographers and producers might be afraid to choose me because they don't understand how someone deaf could be a dancer or because I am different, but I am here to prove it can be done, and that what I bring to the table as a dancer is unique and should be celebrated. Being deaf hasn't stopped me yet, nor will it ever—life is here to be lived!”

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