Blind Dancer ‘Doesn't Let Anything Hold Him Back'

"You see him move, and you won't believe he's blind," his partner of 12 years said.

Garry Ferrar quickly steps from side to side, his arms in sync with his movements to the left and to the right.

The 28-year-old former fashion photographer is teaching a crop of young dancers the ways of folklore dance at a church in San Bernardino.

"Dance means everything to me," Ferrar said. "To me, it's like a medicine. You forget everything in the moment with the kids. Dance can change your mood and the way you feel."

This may seem like a scene that could play out in any community on any night with an enthusiastic instructor.

But Ferrar is blind.

He volunteers to lead free dance classes every weekday at St. John's Episcopal Church. The class is made up of low-income young girls from San Bernardino.

The city of San Bernardino recognized his work in the community during a meeting last week.

Ferrar is honored.

"I never expected the recognition," he said. "It's a blessing to teach the kids what I know."

Ferrar lost his sight in January 2016, the result of fungal meningitis.

"When you lose your vision, you feel like everything is over, and you're not worth anything," he said.

But the lifelong devotee of dancing didn't stop.

"You see him move, and you won't believe he's blind," said Ivan Resendez, Ferrar's caretaker and husband.

He can see shapes and shadows.

"I asked the moms of the girls to buy dresses in black so when the fabric moves, I can see their movements," Ferrar said.

Thalia Sanchez has been taking his classes for two years. She considers him a friend.

"Whatever he wants, he goes for it," said Sanchez, whose daughter takes classes, too. "He doesn't let anything hold him back."

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