Directors Evans and Cunningham's Crutch is the story of dancer and performance artist Bill Shannon who has made a career out of rejecting the world's assumptions about his own limitations. Bill was diagnosed with Legg-Calvé-Perthes as a child, a rare disease that affects the femur and hip joint. Rather than adhering to society's narrative about disabled bodies and their capabilities, Bill taught himself to breakdance on crutches, becoming an internationally successful artist.
The documentary showcases Bill's creativity on and offstage. There was a brief period during his teenage years where Bill was able to walk without crutches. It was then he began skateboarding and breakdancing. Although he had to resume using crutches due to unmanageable pain, he didn't give up his interests. Bill had the ingenious idea of using his skateboard as a mobility device, creating his own signature method of navigating the city. He then spent years crafting a breakdance technique that incorporated his crutches.
Not only is Crutch a memorable biography of an innovative artist, but it's also a window into what it's like to go through life disabled. Bill has had to contend with society's body discrimination since childhood. The effects are felt both in his daily life and his career. Despite Bill's global accomplishments, many critics and fellow dancers see his performances as more of a gimmick than true art. Reviews and reports always center on his disability which often supersedes his skill and talent in the public eye.
One of Bill's most impressive achievements is his inventive performance art that turns the lens on society and forces people to reevaluate their assumptions about disability. Rather than trying to explain what it's like to navigate the world as a person with a disability, Bill uses his art to demonstrate that experience in an entertaining and impactful way. In his memorable trilogy "Window," "Bench," and Traffic," Bill takes his audience along with him as he performs on the streets, letting them witness the spontaneous interactions he has with passersby.
Both the film and Bill's art elucidate the experience of disability in a personal, tangible way that doesn't require theory or complicated explanation. Crutch respectfully and engagingly tells Bill Shannon's story, eschewing the dominant narrative that only certain bodies are capable of artistic expression. Highly Recommended. Aud: C, P.