DanceAbility International

DanceAbility International (DAI) is the flagship program of Joint Forces Dance Company. Its mission is to bring people (with and without disabilities) together through dance. The work of DAI helps to eliminate prejudice and misconceptions about disabilities through mixed-abilities dance that enables expression for all people. The DanceAbility method brings out the creativity, respect, and potential only possible when people with and without disabilities work together as equals.

Along with its popular performance work, DAI is the world leader in training arts educators in integrated, inclusive movement, recreation, and dance. We have certified DanceAbility Teachers in over thirty countries. These student teachers come from diverse backgrounds: they are dance educators, choreographers, therapists, schoolteachers, etc.

We work with, and perform for, both adults and children in Oregon and around the world. In 2012, our programs reached approximately 6,500 people. Under the artistic direction of Alito Alessi (Guggenheim Fellow, Fulbright Senior Specialist, and Ashoka Senior Fellow), DAI has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oregon Cultural Trust, as well as many others.