WINTER PARK, Fla. — “I am in the dressing room and I stretch. I think about the stage and running my dance. I pray before I go on. I pray that I will do my best, and that nothing bad will happen.” – Caleb

As a hard of hearing and autistic dancer, the odds are seemingly against Caleb. But when he dances, you’d never know he has a disability or special needs. In fact, the only thing apparent in his movements is that he possesses a unique and special gift.

Much of that can be attributed to Nicole Warren, Caleb’s personal coach and the co-founder of Chance 2 Dance (C2D), a studio that provides inclusive and accommodating dance classes to children, youth, and adults with varying disabilities. Nicole is also the one who nominated Caleb for Athlete of the Month.

“Caleb is always positive and hardworking,” she says. “No matter how difficult the dancing expectations are, he has never complained. He is dedicated, determined, and disciplined.”

This discipline is apparent in how Caleb overcame communication differences so that he could receive and process feedback. “To help his cognitive processing, Caleb writes my critiques and corrections in a notebook,” shares Nicole. “Being able to write and then read them later allows Caleb to understand and process—at his own speed—what he needs to do to grow in his dance skills.”

Caleb graduated from Circle Christian School in May 2019. Besides dancing, he also practices Taekwondo (and is a third-degree black belt).

“I’ve worked at the Science Center, and I currently intern at C2D,” Caleb adds.

Throughout Caleb’s time assisting in dance classes and learning to be a dance instructor, Nicole has witnessed tremendous growth. “He has come so far in understanding how to accommodate the students he works with,” she explains. “He’s able to independently lead the warmup activities and follow a structured outline of dance class.”

When asked to describe his own personality, Caleb chooses words like determined, self-controlled, patient, cooperative, and kind. But leave it to his grandmother to cut to the heart of the matter.

“She chose spectacular,” Caleb says. “She always believes in me.” Caleb has competed against typical dancers and won at regional and state-level competitions, earning standout awards like Platinum Placement and 1st Overall Award and a special judges’ choice award, “Inspirational & Uplifting,” at the Revolution Talent Competition. He’s also won a gold award and special judges’ recognition for “All in the Details,” acknowledged by world-renowned ballet master Densil Adams.

“As an athlete, a rule I live by is to try my best and just keep going,” Caleb shares. “Last summer, I was performing my solo, and I couldn’t hear my music at all because there was another band playing nearby. It was so loud! But I kept dancing anyway. When the other band stopped and I heard my music, I realized I was off, but I quickly went to the right part in my dance and kept going. I don’t think anyone could tell I made a mistake.” And if ever he needs reassurance to try again, Caleb calls on the words of his teacher and mentor. “The best advice is from Ms. Nicole, who tells me, ‘Listen to the music, take your time,’ and ‘Don’t think. Just do.’”

Last spring, Caleb stepped up to the plate in a way that not even Nicole expected. “C2D was scheduled for a special event, and I was supposed to lead a large group through a choreography routine. On the day of the event, I was very sick and had to call out of the event,” Nicole recalls. “I assumed they would just cut our choreography demo out of their program. Caleb was present at the event and ended up leading the entire group of 50+ people through the choreography step-by-step, independently, for the first time ever without any C2D staff supervision or assistance! Later that night, I learned that he successfully taught a dance by himself. I couldn’t have been prouder of his growth over the past few years.”

Caleb is not only a profoundly talented athlete but also an exemplary student and leader who never ceases to amaze those around him.

“It is an honor and privilege to teach and coach such an outstanding young man,” Nicole says.

As Caleb continues to dance his way toward his dreams, we can’t wait to see what else he’ll accomplish. It should come as no surprise that he has a heart to follow in the steps of his mentor and coach, Nicole. “My dream looks like me being a teacher to help any students with special needs,” he says. “That’s my future.”

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