The Dance Council of North Texas

Adaptive Dance Program

What is Adaptive Dance?    

Adaptive dance is the term for a dance/creative movement program that has been tailored

for individuals with differing abilities, focusing on creating an open environment in which

all abilities can participate. Participants learn a variety of dance steps, games and other

activities that have everyone moving to the music. Props such as musical instruments,

scarves, puppets, balls, and stretch bands are often used to enhance the overall movement

and creative experience. In addition the program provides an opportunity to improve social

skills, confidence, as well as the ability to participate in a group setting. Parent/volunteer

assistance may be required for younger age groups, or those with limited movement.

Our Mission

Adaptive Dance, an innovative outreach program of the Dance Council of North Texas:

• Is the primary resource for adaptive dance in the North Texas area,
• serves children and adults in adaptive dance classes
• disseminates information through its website and the Dance publication,
• fosters training of dance educators and dance/movement therapists through
  workshops, intensives and school outreach programs.

Our Vision

To introduce persons with disabilities to the joy and vitality of dance and movement--

achieving benefit through inclusion-based arts.

Annual Adaptive Dance Workshop and Training Programs

• Presented by the Dance Council in collaboration with Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for
  Children, this day-long workshop is designed for dance educators, studio owners,
  creative art therapists, and anyone interested in learning how to teach inclusion-based
  arts, which focuses on creating an open environment in which children and adults of all
  abilities can participate.  Through lectures, demonstrations, movement experiential,
  and role-playing, participants will gain knowledge, confidence, and skills to use adaptive dance with a variety of populations and settings.
  Check out photos!

• An Adaptive Dance Training Program for therapists from Our Children's House at Baylor
  to coincide with their Adaptive Dance Fancy Feet curriculum. Therapists include Pt's, OT's, Speech Therapists, and Child Life Therapists from a variety of clinics in the DFW area. The Dance Council funds this workshop to serve it's mission in training
  educators the ability to "introduce persons with disabilities the joy and vitality of dance and movement, as well as achieving benefit through inclusion-based arts." This workshop is conducted by two dance/movement therapists in the Dallas area currently doing this work with children, Lynn Moon Shellenberg, MPS, R-DMT, Yoga Ed, and Suzy Rossol Matheson, MA, BC-DMT, NCC. The workshop curriculum includes a mix of both experiential, as well as theory.