September 5, 2018
Daring to dance
Special Section COME ON OUT TO THIS WEEKEND’S FESTIVALS! Hazelwood Harvestfest on Saturday, Sept. 8. Pg.4
Hearing-impaired McCluer North student has taken her love of dance to the Muny stage and beyond while gaining national acclaim
Taste In Ferguson on Sunrday, Sept.9. Pg.6
By Charlotte Beard Few people can say they’ve had the opportunity to perform before thousands of people at The Muny and travel outside of St. Louis to participate in dance programs in New York City and San Francisco. One McCluer North High School student has managed to catch the attention of professionals in the dance industry to do all of this and more. Cici Gregory, a 16-year-old dancer who trains at COCA, has a unique story for how she began her journey. When Cici was born prematurely it caused her a lot of health challenges. Montoya Gregory, Cici’s father, said that Cici was less than two years old when she was diagnosed with hearing loss in both ears at the Moog Center for Deaf Education. She then began wearing hearing aids in both ears until she was five-and-a-half years old, at which time she was implanted on one side with a cochlear implant. Cici’s father and mother – Latisha, shares the difference between her phonak hearing aid and the implant. The cochlear implant has an internal electronic implant that requires surgery and the outer piece, the processor, which sits externally behind the ear. Sound that is detected by the processor travels to the internal implant which stimulates the cochlear and auditory nerve allowing these signals to reach the brain to produce hearing. The cochlear implant can filter sounds at specific frequencies to allow the detection of increased sound and better quality of sound or speech. Her mom emphasized that unlike some prescription eye-glasses that correct vision, the cochlear implant does not correct hearing. However, it does improve her access to sound and speech quality.
Halthy Living. Pg.11
Features (FLIP)
Recipe, Movie & Sudoku. Pg. F-1 Photo courtesy Valerie Sonneveldt and photo illustration by Rebecca Brockmann Cici Gregory, a 16-year-old dancer and McCluer North High School student, trains at COCA and has performed before thousands of people at The Muny and traveled to participate in dance programs in New York City and San Francisco.
In regards to the hearing aid in the other ear, it makes sound louder but it doesn’t improve the quality of sound or speech for Cici. Montoya gave the example of a radio station. When listening to an AM radio station if there is static as you’re listening to what someone is saying, to hear the speaker you might simply turn up the volume on the radio, but at the same time, you’re also increasing the static. This is similar to what Cici would have with just the hearing aid. Her parents share, “The reason Cici continues to use both is because the hearing aid on one side, although she has severe hearing loss in that ear, is because it helps her with sound localization depending on the frequency and it allows her to hear bass (low frequency) sounds in dance which can be important for rhythm depending on the
type of music. Her cochlear implant really helps with higher frequency where speech occurs. By having both devices, it allows her to participate in dance, but also learn to talk and communicate orally.” Cici’s journey in dance began after her toddler years of enduring occupational and physical therapy due to being born a severe preemie. She started with gymnastics when it was recommended that she join dance or gymnastics to continue improving her gross motor skills. A year later when Cici didn’t want to do gymnastics anymore, she was enrolled in a dance studio where her cousin attended. By the age of four, Cici started the beginner combo class of tap, ballet and jazz. Cici who was born weighing one pound See ‘DANCE’ page 2
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Moore On Life, Yeggs & Crossword Puzzle. Pg. F-2 CLASSIFIEDS AND HOME & GARDEN. Pg. F-3 /F-4
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