Marlee Matlin Dances to the Beat

Marlee Matlin is a remarkable person. She proved her acting chops in her film debut in Children of a Lesser God in 1986. The role won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress and an Academy Award in the same category. Not bad for an actor who is almost completely deaf.

But all of these accolades pale in comparison to this advocate for those with hearing loss, when she took to the dance floor on Dancing With the Stars. She had viewers asking How can a deaf person dance when she cant hear the music?

So How Does She Boogie, Oogie Down Just Like Everyone Else?

First, many persons with profound hearing loss can still benefit from the use of quality hearing aids. Marlee wears hearing aids manufactured by Starkeys Labs which contain their proprietary BluWave’ signal processing technology.

In addition, Marlee felt the concussive pulsing beat from the lowest frequencies. The bass guitar and bass drum deliver waves through the floor, the walls and allowed Marlee to feel the rhythm of the music. Hey, your entire body is one big tuning fork!

Finally, Marlee relied on her dance partner, Fabian Sanchez, to keep the moves on track and in synch. Hes my music, Marlee proclaimed. The couple modified some of the moves so Marlee could maintain physical or eye contact with Fabian more frequently, though she had no trouble cha-cha-chaing her way across the stage, engaged in complex dance steps that were eye-popping.

Feel the Beat

A lot of us are surprised to learn that, not only do people with profound hearing loss dance, many are darned good at it.

Deaf people and persons with profound hearing loss experience hearing through vibration we all do, though the hearing population is much less aware of the sensations. We all feel the low notes in the pit of our stomachs. In our bones. And, if loud enough, through hair follicles. You dont have to hear it. It passes through you like a sonic wave. Your bones and nerves feel the beat and feel it through sound waves traveling through the floor and through the air.

Marlee Matlins inspirational appearance on Dancing With the Stars was a thumbs up all the way. And, with the help of a couple of Starkeys BluWave’ hearing aid technology, a dedicated dance partner and feeling the vibrations, Marlee Matlin showed us all how to do it.

Hear the beat. Feel the beat. Whichever it may be, get up and dance.

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