How to Dance in Ohio

Alexandra Shiva's disability-empowerment documentary joins a number of documentaries on autism and Asperger's syndrome, although the spotlight here is on females. A Columbus, OH, clinic run by Dr. Emilio Amigo arranges for a group of teenage girls on the higher-functioning end of the spectrum to focus their uncertain social skills on preparing for a school formal dance. Cameras follow Marideth (16), Caroline (19), and Jessica (22) in their therapy sessions, at home with families, or together as they navigate the challenges of choosing their own dates, finding appropriate dresses, and overcoming their apprehension, while gearing up for a coming-of-age ritual that even daunts “normal” (whatever that means) awkward adolescents. The fact that these young ladies are college age with parents who worry about their daughters' ability to sustain themselves in jobs or on campus brings up larger issues that are somewhat beyond the scope of this film, but still somewhat neatly distilled in the momentous trial of a seemingly minor rite of passage. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)