Born to Dance

Mary Verdi-Fletcher is the president, founder, and artistic director of Dancing Wheels, the world center for integrated dance arts access. She has been a pioneering force in the development and success of physically integrated dance worldwide for over four decades. She is one of the first and foremost professional wheelchair dancers, and after the inception of the Dancing Wheels Company in 1980, Mary soon realized the dire need for training and career advancement for dancers of all ability levels, which ultimately lead to the creation of the multi-arts Dancing Wheels School. Attracting students from around the globe, the school rapidly became the most sought-after site for training in the formal techniques of physically integrated dance. 

Kathryn Hagen has always loved language, learning, children, and writing. After receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, she combined those passions into work as a speech/language pathologist specializing in early language and literacy development. Later, she earned an Educational Specialist degree at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and worked as a special education administrator. Kathryn now joyously blends those same passions to create books for children.

Nabi H. Ali is a Tamil-American illustrator who enjoys creating diverse works that showcase an array of cultures and people. His interest in illustration started when he realized he could help create representation in the arts and in media for minorities. He is very passionate about working with characters that he wishes he had seen in books when he was a child. His hobbies include doll collecting, reading, learning about South Asian mythology and folklore.