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Dancer in wheelchair joins New Orleans all-male dance crew

Posted at 3:36 PM, Sep 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-01 16:36:38-04

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A man in a wheelchair has joined the all-male New Orleans dance crew called the 610 Stompers.

Jason Homer tried out for the group that describes itself as ordinary men with “extraordinary moves.”

Local media report he got word Sunday that he had landed a coveted spot on the dance team.

“What we look for is guys with heart,” said one of the Stompers, Mont Creamer, in a text message to NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune, “and this guy is a Stomper with or without the chair.”

Homer lost the use of his legs in an industrial accident three years ago.

“At first it was very, very depressing. I was in a bad spot for a little while,” he told WWL-TV in an interview. But he said after rehabilitation and recovery he realized how much he was still able to do.

Homer’s wife encouraged him to try out for the 610 Stompers, and he was cheered on at the tryouts by a raucous support team of family and physical therapists.

The Stompers are known for their distinctive outfits – tight blue shorts, red satin jackets, tube socks pulled up over the calf and a headband.

The group was formed in 2009 and quickly became a crowd favorite during Mardi Gras season and the rest of the year.

They perform throughout the year at such as events as halftime shows at the New Orleans Pelicans and Saints games and raise money for various charities.