DanceAbility is a unique dance methodology founded in 1987 by Alito Alessi and Karen Nelson and has been under the exclusive leadership of Alito since 1989. DanceAbility uses improvisational dance to promote artistic expression and exploration between people with and without disabilities.
Through experiencing movement together, misconceptions and/or prejudices that able-bodied or disabled people might have about them selves and each other are uprooted. DanceAbility workshops provide a supportive atmosphere for attitudes to change, and for people to learn about the beauty and joy of communicating through movement.
The intention of DanceAbility is to cultivate a common ground for creative expression of all people. The material is drawn from the group present in a given situation and isolates no one. The method supports self-empowerment by offering ways that all individuals can participate fully in expressing their creative choices, including respecting one’s own limits. Following one’s own interest and desire, and applying that to the benefit of one’s community, is a basic DanceAbility teaching.
The class will consist of foundation exercises introducing basic concepts of movement improvisation to people of all abilities based on things that all participants can do. This class will provide an introduction to the unique language of each person’s body and how to communicate non-verbally with a partner and in larger groups. This will result in work in self-directing small groups to shape short dance pieces. The integration of “Contact Improvisation” will result in learning to improvise using physical contact.
Alito Alessi
