Adaptive Dance

By Laura Muha When former Radio City Rockette Mary Six Rupert was 9 months old, she rolled off her father’s lap and wound up in a body cast with a broken leg. Her mother, Nita Braun, decided Rupert’s legs needed strengthening, so once Rupert recovered, Braun signed the toddler up for dance lessons—something that led…

By Lisa Wells, Naturally Able Welcome to a place where you’re free to spin your wheels as we introduce you to not one but two groups of uplifting, encouraging, and empowering women’s dance teams at the Houston Abilities Expo: the Ayita Dance Team and the Rollettes! Tiny Dancers Go Bigger in Texas Our first team of fantastic performers hails…

By Hailey Wachlarowicz-Bayer, Coloplast With the first 2021 event in Chicago on June 25-27, the Abilities Expo is back, and we are thrilled to see our community reuniting on the other side of the pandemic. Joining forces to support women who roll, the Rollettes and Coloplast have collaborated to help bring this fantastic wheelchair dance group back to the Expo…

By Lourdes Mack My name is Lourdes Mack, I am 18 years old, I was born with Spina Biffida, and I have had 16 surgeries. I recently had the opportunity to take part in the Disney Family Singalong as a dancer. I had gotten a call from both my agent, and my dance teacher was telling…

By Lisa Wells, Cure Medical Make the holidays even brighter this season by giving the gift of dance, or a variety of specifically-curated gift items, courtesy of The Rollettes wheelchair dance team and intermittent catheter manufacturer Cure Medical! Below, you’ll discover a whole sleigh-load of ways to cherish someone you love with handy gift ideas and a unique giveaway…

As the lights warmed the beautiful stage at the Lincoln Theatre, I could feel the energy of the audience. The anticipation and excitement penetrated my body—a feeling I have experienced too many times to count over my nearly 40 years of performing and directing The Dancing Wheels Company & School. As the dance/theater production progressed in…

Google “dance quotes” and you’ll get everything from poetic to cliché to biblical. So…to sum up…dance like no one is watching because there is a time to mourn and a time to dance, which is the hidden language of the soul. Hmmm, perhaps not. Abilities Expo fan favorite and Push Girl Auti Angel says, “Dancing is a…

By Chelsie Hill, The Rollettes It all started with our very first Dance Intensive in October of 2012. At the time, I was determined to put on a dance showcase for the disability community, but what emerged was so much more. Our Rollettes team came together because of our shared love of dance and, through our…

It began as an idea. And now it’s on its way to an Emmy.  “It” is a new show called Donna On The Go created by Peggy Lane about her friend Donna Russo. It is unique, charming and viewers worldwide are falling in love with it. In a world of copycat ideas, cop programs and behind-the-scene productions…

Abilities Expo Ambassador Donna Russo met Peggy Lane almost two years ago and they became lifelong friends. After seeing how hard even the simplest things can be for Donna—just getting her mail, or getting to her car—Peggy decided to film some things. Once while at Target, the two women shopped and they couldn’t stop laughing.…

By Amy Meisner-Threet, SAG-AFTRA, MSW To dance or not to dance? That is not even a consideration for many despite what may appear to others to be obvious obstacles. By creating the full length documentary film A Passion for Dance, Dancer Donna Russo and Choreographer Tam Warner are determined to change the conversation about what it means…

By Bonnie Lewkowicz, AXIS Dance Company and Abilities Expo Ambassador Axis Dance Company. Joel Brown and Sebastian Grubb.Photo by Michele Kumi-Baer AXIS Dance Company, based in Oakland, California, creates, performs, and teaches “physically integrated dance”—a contemporary dance form that evolves from the collaboration between dancers with and without disabilities. In existence for 25 years, we…