Dance And Deafness - Are There Connections?

Many hearing people might take it for granted that, since dance is an activity usually done to music, it is something that only hearing people can do.

There are many connections between music, dance, and deaf people. Some of these connections can be very surprising.

In humans, there is a golf-ball sized area of the brain over the left ear that is designed to process speech and language. There is a separate area of the brain designed to process vibration. In deaf people, the speech area redesigns itself to also process vibrations. Therefore, it is possible that deaf people can experience music in a deep and rich way that hearing people do not appreciate.

In recent years, many school systems have installed special platforms designed to help deaf or hearing-impaired students to experience music more fully. In many cases these platforms are “sprung,” meaning they have heavy springs installed underneath. There are also large speakers turned face-down on the platforms. This combination of specially-arranged speakers, heavy springs and natural wood in the platforms makes for an excellent sound transmission system. Students sitting or standing on the platform can feel a wide range of vibrations through their feet or bodies, which aids in appreciation of the wide variety of sounds made by the different musical instruments.

These sprung platforms are also used to aid in teaching the deaf to dance. The students are able to feel the musical vibrations through the floor, so it is easier for them to follow the beat and the intensity of the music. Many professional dance troupes are known to use sprung floors in their studios to help the dancers soar into the air when they leap. Many performance spaces also utilize sprung floor surfaces.

As anyone who has been to a rock concert can tell you, if the music is loud enough the sheer sound pressure can be felt on the face, arms, or even move the clothing. This level of sound doesn’t stop at the skin, but penetrates through the entire body. The bass “thump” that is felt in the chest bypasses the ears completely! It is easy for anyone to move to music at this volume.

Dance and music are not reserved only for the hearing. Even now, deaf people can derive great pleasure from music and dance. As technology advances, deaf consumers may be able to add even more levels to their enjoyment of music.


Enjoy learning sign language and teaching it to your baby. The effects are amazing!
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What Would Motivate a Baby to Sign?

Excellent video for teaching baby to sign.

There are many reasons why a hearing baby would want to sign. While a child is still preverbal, if he knows the signs for the things he wants, likes or needs, he will be eager to use the signs to help fulfill his needs. If he wants his favorite truck, for example, but can’t say the word yet, he will use the sign in order to get his truck!

Infants are born imitators, and quickly learn that pleasing the adults brings them extra love and attention. When baby perceives that Mommy wants her to sign, she will sign as early as she can in order to get that hug and kiss and hear Mommy’s delighted praise.

Sign should be used as a normal part of daily activities, and ideally, it should be started when the baby is very young. For example, when feeding or giving the baby his bottle of milk, sign “milk” several times without expecting a response. Be sure the baby sees the bottle, then sees and hears you speak the word and make the sign. Be ready to do a lot of repetition without expecting baby to sign back to you at first. This is a lot of information for an infant to assimilate!

When she has been exposed to many signs over a period of weeks or months, gradually the child will come to understand that the hand motions have meaning, and with consistent exposure she will learn that the sign, the object and the spoken word are all connected. This is the basis of “language” – understanding the connection between the abstract word or sign, and the physical object.

Use this technique with other everyday objects and people: Mommy, Daddy, dog, cat, ball, toy, cookie, bed. If necessary, make a list of the everyday items baby encounters, and have the signs ready so you do not have to interrupt normal activities to look up the sign. Anticipate signs for words that might excite your baby: Grandma, bird, swing, car. If you are planning a trip to the zoo, plan ahead with sign too, and have ready some animal signs: monkey, giraffe, bear, bird, and others.

Be patient when teaching sign to your baby. Before you know it, those little hands will sign back to you. It may take some learning on your part to recognize your baby’s version of a sign, but what a thrill it will be when the two of you start to communicate in sign!


Video to help you teach your baby to sign
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How Will Signing with My Baby Be Beneficial?

Welcome to my second blog post on signing with babies! Today I'd like to outline the many benefits of using sign language with your baby.

Here is some video on babies learning to sign.

As your child learns signs and is able to communicate with you, the rest of the family and other adults, they will experience an increase in self confidence that will stay with them for life. Your child’s reading and spelling ability will accelerate. Through focused play, they learn to identify hundreds of objects and emotions.

Children who sign often experience increased interest in reading and books because they understand concepts so much better.With all the demands placed on everyone’s time today, children are getting less attention than ever before, sometimes to the point they are relying on video games and other “distractions” to influence them. Signing with your baby will allow you to connect with your child and make YOU their center of attention! It takes very little additional time, and adds plenty of fun into family time, too. All you need do is look up signs for the words commonly used with a baby: eat, milk, bear, love, sleep, etc.

Your child’s life will be infinitely easier. Signing with your baby stimulates brain activity and engages the visual cortex. This use of the visual modality, in addition to the auditory modality, enables your child to comprehend a lot faster than anyone else. That means your child will get a “head start” in life! Using sign language helps open additional and separate memory storage for cognitive development. By using visual, audio, and sensory stimulation, these multiple forms of learning allow for all types of learners to absorb information in a unique and global way. Your child’s verbal ability will increase. Studies show that children who use baby sign language can be months and even up to a full year ahead of children who did not sign.

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In my next post I will explore what might motivate a baby to use signs. Have a great day!