Dance and Disabilities

Dance can be an inspiring, challenging, and rewarding activity for young people with disabilities.¹ More and more classes are being developed for dance students with disabilities. In 1980, professional dance troupes emerged with dancers with disabilities to shatter the image of who dancers are.²

Adapted dance relates to adapting dance activities as well as attitudes and behaviors surrounding dance and disabilities to promote equal participation opportunities for individuals with disabilities.² Attitudes are changing about disabilities and the benefits students may receive from participating in adapted dance classes. 

Dance ability has been defined by five abilities:²

^{(1) body awareness;}

^{(2) spatial awareness;}

^{(3) ability to follow oral instruction and music cues;}

^{(4) ability to imitate movement; and}

^{(5) visualization and recall skill}

The above abilities do not suggest that a person with a disability would not be successful in a dance class. Dance can be adapted for students with all abilities. For example, a way to incorporate a dancer in a wheel chair during a contemporary routine is to have the dancer in the chair be an intricate part of partnering or stunting. To check out a dance troupe for dancers with and without disabilities visit AXIS Dance Company. 

¹Aujla, I. J., & Redding, E. (2013). Barriers to dance training for young people with disabilities. British Journal Of Special Education, 40(2), 80-85. doi:10.1111/1467-8578.12021

²Zitomer, M. R., & Reid, G. (2011). To Be or Not to Be--Able to Dance: Integrated Dance and Children's Perceptions of Dance Ability and Disability. Research In Dance Education, 12(2), 137-156.