Page 31 - Adelante Magazine March 2025

Entertainment
By: Laura Moreno

The Magic of
Makenzie Morgan Gomez: Trailblazer in Dance Performance
The incomparable Makenzie Mor- fectionately called.
gan Gomez—queer Hispanic
dancer/singer, advocate for the dis- It might seem that there would be re-
abled, and trailblazer—has just re- sistance to the idea of audiences ac-
leased a new music video. “Music cepting disabled dancers, perhaps
and the Mirror (& Mobility Aids)” there once was, but things have
adapted from the Pulitzer-prize win- changed. In fact, again and again au-
ning musical “A Chorus Line” is al- diences prove to be very excited
ready going viral across social about having the opportunity to see
platforms. talented disabled performers of all
types step (or roll) onto center-stage
Not only is she blessed with a beau- in theater productions. In truth, they’d
tifully clear voice, but she knows like to see it happen a lot more often.
how to use it.
Now the ball is in the casting direc-
But what makes her incredible per- tors’ court to catch up with changing
formance so noteworthy is that Mak- tastes.
enzie is disabled. And yet she
seamlessly incorporates both cane, To be sure, disabled performers pro-
crutches and manual wheelchair vide much-needed inspiration now
into her powerful and moving per- that approximately 18% of the Amer-
formance. Critics noted that Maken- ican public is in some way disabled.
zie blends her mobility aids into the
show “without needing to alter the Although there has been enormous
story.” progress in recent years, disabled
performers are still the most under-
Versatile and extremely talented, it’s represented group in film, television,
incredible that Makenzie also shines and live performance.
as modern jazz dancer, artistically
spinning and twirling, slinking and Memorably, I attended a live theater
whirling with perfect execution of dif- production directed by the great
ficult dance moves. Peter Sellers in 2003 that included an
old man in a wheelchair who took a
Indeed, it’s a bit reminiscent of leading role in the action. I recall
chorus lines dancing with the tradi- being struck by how powerful his
tional cane and top hat while per- scenes were, something I’d never
forming popular show tunes like seen on-stage. No doubt audiences
“New York, New York.” agreed the bold move spoke to the
director’s enormous creativity and
Recently, Makenzie Morgan Gomez talent.
made her Off-Broadway debut at
Theatre Row in the role of Libby in To facilitate the inclusion of disabled
Neil Simon's “I Ought to Be In Pic- performers, Makenzie Morgan
tures” and has been featured in Gomez has created Creative Adapta-
Forbes Magazine and Health.com. tions to collaborate with creative pro-
fessionals including casting directors,
Real Inspiration, Boosted Ticket choreographers, and performers to
Sales incorporate inspiring disability-in-
Makenzie danced professionally for formed artistry in their productions. I
over a decade before she began to wouldn’t be at all surprised if includ-
experience autoimmune disorder ing disabled stars in film, television,
symptoms and chronic musculos- and in theater productions boosted
keletal pain. She had no idea what ticked sales just as much or more
was happening to her body until she than including people of color in casts
was at long last diagnosed and has been proven to boost box office
treated. sales.

Around that time, she began to be Watch the music video here:
very inspired by the emerging “dy- https://www.broadwayworld.com/bw
namically disabled” community of wdance/article/Video-Disabled-Per-
dancers online. former-Makenzie-Morgan-Gomez-
Releases-Music-and-the-Mirror-Mobi
On the whole it is clear that both dis- lity-Aids-A-CHORUS-LINE-Perform-
abled and able-bodied audience ance-20241129
members draw real inspiration from
gutsy artists like Mak, as she is af-

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