Columnist Susan Snyder: Project is a true work of art

Friday, Feb. 20, 2004 | 8:40 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4082.

Jessica Kinzler's gotta dance.

Gotta sing.

And got a lot of good ideas on how those two activities can help children with disabilities.

Kinzler, 16, has created a workshop called "Anything is Possible," which will be conducted the last week of February and the first three weeks of March for children enrolled in the Easter Seals of Southern Nevada's after-school program.

The home-schooled teen developed the workshop as part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award project. The Gold Award is comparable to the Eagle Scout award coveted by Boy Scouts.

Kinzler has enlisted the volunteer services of her own voice teacher, Coren Zai, and Zai's husband, Ren. Kinzler's dance teacher, Louisa Frias, and Donna Frias, Louisa's mother and owner of Desert Shores Dance Academy, round out the staff of volunteer instructors.

The program's children will discover the joys of creating art projects, setting goals and realizing their dreams, and learn to express themselves through creative movement and singing.

Kinzler said the idea occurred to her last fall during physical therapy for her own mild case of cerebral palsy.

"I saw people around me who had it worse than I did," she said. "I find I can express myself better through the arts. I thought I could help those (youngsters ) through the things I know best, which are dancing and singing."

Her workshops are designed to help children facing physical or mental challenges learn that they can tackle new skills.

"People tend to set boundaries that aren't really there. We want to push their boundaries a little bit," Kinzler said. "It might be difficult, but they can do it."

Kinzler speaks from experience. Her disability, present since birth, affects her right side by hindering the fine motor skills of her leg, arm and hand.

Still, Kinzler started dancing at age 3 and credits her years of staying strong and in shape with helping her do more than others might expect.

Her mother credits something else.

"She can do anything she puts her mind to," Laura Kinzler said. "When she wanted to dance, she danced. I didn't mention (the cerebral palsy) to her until other people noticed. "

As a result, Kinzler said, the cerebral palsy was treated as just another aspect of her being, rather than the defining one.

"It takes me a bit longer to learn some things, but I do it," Kinzler said. "When you get past the mentality of it, the physical part doesn't matter that much."

When Kinzler successfully completes her project, she will join the 6 percent of Girl Scouts nationally to attain the organization's highest honor. Her workshop is merely the capstone of a two-year endeavor that includes earning awards in leadership and organizational skills.

Kinzler said she has spent far more than the 50-hour minimum required for the final project. It took her nearly three months to find a hosting site.

She graduates high school in the fall and will begin college classes soon after. She might pursue a writing career or perhaps something in the performance arts.

"I haven't quite decided what route I want to take," she said.

But rest assured, she will take whatever one suits her.