Triumph From Tragedy: Boston Bombing Victim Dances On Stage With Her New Prosthetic Leg
Dance teacher Adrianne Haslet-Davis might have lost a leg in the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing, but she definitely didn't lose the determination and dedication that she teaches her younger students.
When Haslet-Davis became an amputee, she vowed to herself that she would perform again, despite all the difficulties she faced.
Together with an MIT researcher and one revolutionary prosthetic leg, Haslet-Davis' dream became a reality. On Wednesday, she danced onstage (to a standing ovation, of course) at a TED talk in Vancouver.
Adrianne Haslet-Davis is a prime example of a prosthetic can make thiongs possible for people pic.twitter.com/M8cgpWlyLK — *_Lucky_Fin_* (@DontNeed2Hands) March 20, 2014
One of the most moving moments on the TED stage ever. Bomb victim Adrianne Haslet Davis dances again. #TED2014 pic.twitter.com/bVD9ifT6oH — Chris Anderson (@TEDchris) March 19, 2014
Haslet-Davis met Hugh Herr a few months after the bombing at a rehabilitation center. Herr, a fellow amputee, immediately understood Haslet-Davis' need to return to doing what she loves most. They began working together to produce a prosthetic leg that could complete all the moves of a dancer's body.
"It was so new, we’d never looked at something like dance. The artificial limb is just a blank state. If you think it, you can build it."
Why a Boston bombing survivor who lost her leg is now able to ballroom dance: http://t.co/XvMdhQ0K7t #TED2014 pic.twitter.com/DTL8sEtNk1 — Fast Company (@FastCompany) March 20, 2014
And he did; by studying the movement of dancers, Herr created an algorithm to make a prosthetic leg able to adjust to and absorb different body movements. With her new limb, Haslet-Davis is able to master even the trickiest of dance moves.
#TED2014 Adrianne Haslet-Davis dances again for the first time since she lost a leg in the Boston Marathon attack: pic.twitter.com/9M0D1uJyyY — TED Talks (@TEDTalks) March 19, 2014
MIT Prof @hughherr #TED2014: reveals bionic leg allowing #BostonMarathon "victim" to be "dancer" back on dance floor pic.twitter.com/aHqtbPysLX — Ellen Levy (@EllenLevy) March 19, 2014
