During one of Bentworth's dance rehearsals for this year's musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," senior Jessica Fordyce accidentally kicked her dance partner, freshman Joe Molek, in the head.
Unfazed, Molek, who has dance experience as a member of the Junior Tamburitzans in Cokeburg, calmly instructed Fordyce to lift her leg higher.
"After that, everything with that move was fine," he said. "If Jess misses a step, she'll just say, 'Aw darn, we'll get it right next time' and she does."
The final performance of the show will be held at 2 p.m. today at the school.
Bentworth English teacher and musical director Jacqui Gurdish said Fordyce "will have the dances after trying them once or twice. She is a good listener. Recently, Jess was out with an illness and was three-and-one-half dances behind, but she practiced the dances at home and caught up quickly. Our other students are always there to help. They all work well together."
What doesn't matter is that Fordyce has been blind since birth. And specialists have been at a loss to explain any causes.
"I was born like this and doctors said the cause is a mystery," Fordyce explained. "Doctors do not know why I cannot see. My retina is attached, the optic nerve is fine, and there is no difference between my eyes and the eyes of a person who has normal vision, except I have what doctors call 'pepper spots' on the retina. No one else in my family is blind and nothing has changed since I was born. Doctors have called this a unique case. They have no answers, but they said it may change all of a sudden, for no reason."
Fordyce has friends who are blind, but they all know the reason for their blindness, she added.
"I can only see a little light," she said. "I can tell if the light changes, if it goes on or off. Other than that I cannot see anything. I cannot see people, regardless of how close they get to me."
When Molek, cast as Daniel, was initially paired with Fordyce for several up-tempo dances, he anticipated a "rocky start because of all the dance moves and routines. I knew Jessica through my sister and knew it would be a challenge for both of us, especially because of all the dance moves. It was a rough start because Jess can't see what the director is doing regarding any motions or movements.
"It was tough for her to understand some things, so I had to give her verbal directions, 'move right,' 'step left.' It's hard if you can't see because we move pretty fast, but she knows the dances and moves and we just give her cues on stage. Her improvement has been 100 percent and I'm glad to be her partner. On one of the faster dances, Jess is spinning and it's hard for her to do that, but she has a really good attitude about everything."
Gurdish hasn't been concerned about any of Fordyce's missteps, nor was she apprehensive when Fordyce, cast as Liza in the musical, missed several days of school because of illness.
"Jess is determined and does not give up," Gurdish said. "She gives a 100 percent effort in everything she does. She has been in my classes for three years and I can always count on her."
When Fordyce was sick and was forced to miss several rehearsals, she learned the play's "wedding dance" and another titled "Spring, Spring, Spring" at home.
"Joe, my show partner, helped teach me some dances and other friends helped explain what I had to do and explained the moves," she said. "Joe and my other friends are awesome and they have been so helpful. They give me directions on stage and escort me off stage."
Gurdish teaches 10th-grade English, Honors English 11, and AP English 12, and is directing her first musical.
"Everything I have for Jess in class is in Braille and she is a prolific reader," Gurdish said. "When we do power points, the other students will tell her what is on the screen or slide. She uses her cane in school and gets around school with no problems. She is a wonderful person."
At Bentworth, Fordyce earns all "A" and "B" grades and is ranked 20th in her senior class. In her classes, she does not see or have any printed material, but rather, as in her English class, has all subject materials in Braille.
On the stage, "other students are amazed and impressed at what Jess can do," Gurdish noted. "She has good stage presence and is always in character. She does a great job learning the dances and there are sometimes 25 students on the stage dancing and she is right there with them. She learns the dances and our cast members will move her around. When it's time to exit the stage, one of the other students will help guide her off stage by holding her arm."
"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is not Fordyce's first foray onto the stage. Describing herself as "always a singer," she performed solos in chorus in elementary and middle school. While performing in a dance competition, she was encouraged to enter a vocal competition and performed the country tune, "Who I Am," and earned a second-place ribbon. At home, she has been known to kick a couple chairs practicing for recitals. Adding acting to her singing was a natural progression.
Fordyce's first high-school musical was "Annie Get Your Gun" when she was a freshman and continued with "Fiddler on the Roof" last year when she played one of the daughters. She tried out this year and earned the role of Liza.
"I love musicals," she said. "There is so much passion in musicals. I don't really have any favorite roles. I've liked something about each of the roles I've had. 'Annie Get Your Gun' is special because that was my first play and this year has been awesome. It's been exciting being a part of the cast and program."
After high school and college, she hopes to become involved with community theater.
Last summer Fordyce attended and lived at a school in Homestead for individuals who either lost their vision or never were able to see.
"All the teachers there are blind," she said, "and I learned so much. Being there gave me the will to help other visually impaired students. In college I plan to major in special education and help others in the same situation as me.
"Since I never had sight, it does not bother me, but many people wonder how I do everything," she said. "But not having sight should not stop someone from acting or singing. There are many people who have had successful careers or have been singers or actors even though they were blind. If you can walk around your house, you can be on stage. It's just living. I happen to see things differently."
