Deaf American dancer Antoine Hunter finds his rhythm in silence

For deaf American dancer Antoine Hunter, dance is in everyone, whether you have rhythm or not.

Hunter is all set to host the 2018 edition of the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival (BAIDDF) that starts on August 10. The annual event is produced by Hunter's own company to highlight the contributions of deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) artists.

Growing up deaf in Oakland (US), he wasn't sure how his life would unfold. From a young age he was taunted for having a disability many around him couldn't understand. He found people to be impatient with him and perceived him to be "different".

"I was betrayed and bullied just because I am deaf," he told this correspondent while talking about those tough years.

Finding it hard to communicate with others made life for a young Antoine very isolating, and when a rare conversation occurred, he would be thrashed about never amounting to much.

But being told what he couldn't achieve, only drove him to prove people wrong.

"I remember one guy said I would never make the basketball team in junior high school. So I practiced every morning before school started and made the basketball team," he says.

Despite this constant challenge, Hunter learned early on to have faith in himself, a belief instilled in him by his mother. She taught him to recognise his own value and appreciate what he has. "I'm black, I'm deaf and I'm proud," he beams.

Appreciating his uniqueness became the driving force in Hunter's success, helping him achieve the seemingly impossible dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Hunter was first drawn to dance in high school, deciding to give it a try after he got bored in P.E. class. He couldn't hear a musical beat, but fell in love with the vibe of the class, which he found thrilling.

He describes his first ever dance class as sweaty and fun, "I didn't know what the teacher was saying but I was happy to move my body".

Discovering dance transformed Hunter's life. This became apparent when his class was assigned a dance project. No one in class wanted to collaborate with him, so his teacher suggested he do a solo performance.

Hunter decided to choreograph his performance to Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You. When it was show time, his classmates were shocked by his stunning performance.

Now the boy who couldn't find a way to communicate with people, finally had a language in which he could truly be understood.

That was the moment he realised the healing power of the art.

“Dance saved my life because it built a bridge for me to connect with people,” he explains.

“That’s when I knew dance had the power to communicate with people and I wanted to learn all kinds of dance.”

And so he did. He is trained in several dance forms, from belly dance to tap. Feeling the vibrations of the music's beat helps his body connect with time and rhythm.

Not only is he thriving in the craft, but he also has his own troupe called the Urban Jazz Dance Company.

Hunter now teaches others the art form that has enriched his life and believes anyone, even a person with disability, can heal with it.

He believes dance allows one to be free and helps bring communities together because it builds a bridge to connect people to one another.

As living proof that anything is achievable, Hunter encourages others not to give up when life gets hard and to stay positive.

“Remember you are beautiful, you're a superhero even if you don't feel heroic,” he encourages. “Know you are beautiful even on the ugly days, you're beautiful even when you make mistakes.”