AXIS Dance Company Announces The Launch Of The ACCESS GUIDE FOR PRESENTING AND TOURING THE PERFORMING ARTS

Aimed at venues and presenters keen on advancing their understanding of accessibility, this online resource will address the critical and overdue need for accessible dance and performance spaces.

The ”Access Guide” provides essential insights and practical advice to ensure inclusivity for artists, venue workers, administrators, and audiences with various access needs. The guide was created in partnership with leaders across the disability spectrum and performing arts landscape, ensuring wide-ranging and nuanced perspectives on the ways in which access benefits everyone. This guide is a living and breathing resource that will consistently be updated, continuing to take into consideration feedback from the greater disability arts field. Through this guide and related programming, AXIS Dance Company strives to foster and create a more equitable, accessible, and welcoming performing arts environment.

“Throughout AXIS Dance Company's 37-year history, access advocacy has always been at the forefront of our mission,” said Nadia Adame, AXIS Dance Company Artistic Director. “In 2018, our Artistic Director Emerita Judith Smith spearheaded the National Convening on the Future of Physically Integrated Dance, which helped break down barriers for disabled dancers in the US. Inspired by her legacy, we are thrilled to launch the ‘Access Guide.' We hope this resource continues to expand the performing arts field's understanding of how access and disability culture can only enrich and deepen our collective connection to the greater human story."

"Over the last four years, AXIS has been deeply exploring what accessibility really means for us as a company—both internally and externally,” adds Danae Rees, AXIS Dance Company Managing Director. “Striving for greater accessibility in the dance and performing arts field cannot be done by disabled artists alone. We need the field as a whole to challenge perceptions and critically think about tangible actions to ensure full access for artists and audiences alike. We hope The Access Guide will ignite a deeper understanding of accessibility in the performing arts and support presenters, venues, touring staff, and organizations to design their journeys through—and commitments to—accessibility." 

"This has been a labor of love, community care, Disability Justice, and more,” adds Vanessa Cruz, Disabled Dance Artist & Access Guide Consultant. “I am beyond excited to witness how this will change our dance field! And above all I hope this will facilitate and provide more opportunities for Disabled artists, collectives, and companies to thrive in more accessible venues!"

The ”Access Guide” was made possible with the support of the Hewlett Foundation and the NEFA National Dance Project.

ABOUT AXIS DANCE COMPANY

Led by Artistic Director Nadia Adame and Managing Director Danae Rees, AXIS is one of the nation's most acclaimed ensembles of disabled, non-disabled, and neurodiverse performers. AXIS was founded in 1987 and creates world-class productions that challenge perceptions and redefine dance and disability. The Bay Area, California-based company has toured over 100 cities in the US, Israel and Palestine, United Kingdom, Europe, United Arab Emirates, and Russia, and has received nine Isadora Duncan Dance Awards. AXIS commissions new work from a host of renowned international choreographers including Marc Brew, Arthur Pita, Robin Dekkers, Bill T. Jones, Jennifer Archibald, Stephen Petronio, Amy Seiwert, and Asun Noales. In tandem with a robust performance calendar, AXIS provides unparalleled integrated dance education and outreach programs. AXIS builds paths to dance education for disabled and non-disabled people of all ages, experiences, and spectrum of disabilities.

For more information, visit www.axisdance.org