Abilities Dance

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Abilities Dance Abilities Dance is a Boston-based nonprofit with disabled and diverse nondisabled dancers

Abilities is designed to provide a professional platform for dancers of all physical abilities. Rather than creating the choreography and casting dancers to fit that mold, we create the choreography to emphasize the dancers’ strengths and build on their limitations. We utilize musicians to create music customized to the movements and emotions conveyed in the piece. The customized piece gives an organic and unique experience that will engage and inspire audiences.

✨ Dance. Connection. Community. ✨We had such a wonderful time moving and stretching with the students at Somali Parents ...
10/07/2026

✨ Dance. Connection. Community. ✨

We had such a wonderful time moving and stretching with the students at Somali Parents Advocacy Center for Education (SPACE)! 💛

Co-taught by ADB teachers Hannah & Jassi, this class brought different movement practices together to create space for physical, social, and emotional wellness—celebrating neurodivergent and diverse students exactly as they are. 🫶🏽

And here’s the part we really want you to know:

These classes were FREE for students, guardians, and host sites, made possible through grant funding from Abilities Dance Boston.

But grants are changing—and keeping these community partnerships going takes all of us.

💛 Want to help? Become a $10/month supporter.

When many people give what they can, those small monthly gifts become something BIG:
✨ More accessible programs
✨ Continued support for our teachers
✨ More community partnerships
✨ Fewer financial barriers to participation

Disability justice. Creativity. Connection. Access.
That’s the community we’re working toward—and we need you with us.

👉🏾 Tap the link in our bio to donate or round up your support through our Round Up profile. Even $10/month makes a difference.

ID: 1st image - Hannah, SPACE teacher, and students sitting on floor in circle with feet all pointed inwards and they stretch to touch their toes. 2nd image - Text reads" In just 1 minute you can signup to give your spare change to Abilities Dance and have a big impact on our work in greater Boston.
RoundUp.org makes it easy to round up all of your Visa or Mastercard transactions and give the spare change to any nonprofit. How it works:
1. Follow link in bio; 2. Select the credit card you want to enroll; 3. Set an (optional) maximum monthly donation. That’s it! Sign up takes less than 1 minute. Once you sign up, share with a friend about ways that you can support your favorite nonprofits through easy grassroots giving."

✨ While we were rehearsing for Firebird, our community work was taking flight, too! 🔥🪽All summer,, we were excited to pa...
10/07/2026

✨ While we were rehearsing for Firebird, our community work was taking flight, too! 🔥🪽

All summer,, we were excited to partner again with JP KidsArts to bring storytelling workshops directly to students. 📚💫

Because dance and the arts aren’t just about what happens on stage—they’re about connection, confidence, creativity, and wellness. ❤️

We love bringing our teaching artists into summer & after-school programs, schools, hospitals, and community spaces to create meaningful experiences for disabled and diverse students.

From the rehearsal room to the community room, we believe everyone deserves the chance to move, create, connect, and be heard. 💃🏽✨

💬 In either program, what’s one way ADB made an impact on you or someone you love? Comment below so we can keep adding bits of community feedback into our rehearsal/class plans.

ID: Darkened image of students huddled in a ball with instructor Tori standing but bent over as one student feels the shape Tori is making.

🍂 Movement is for everyone. And we’re bringing it back to Brookline this fall! 💛We’re thrilled to partner with Brookline...
10/04/2026

🍂 Movement is for everyone. And we’re bringing it back to Brookline this fall! 💛

We’re thrilled to partner with Brookline Rec again to offer adaptive movement classes for students ages 14+ — and you don’t have to live in Brookline to join us!

Whether you’re brand new to movement or already love to move, you’re welcome. No previous movement experience is required. Come explore movement, build confidence, connect with others, and have fun with one of our ADB teachers. 🧡

📍 Brookline High School
📅 October 22 - November 19
🕕️ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
👟 Ages 14+
✨ All experience levels welcome

Ready to move with us? Register through the link in our bio!

And tell us below: What does inclusive movement classes mean to you? 👇🏾

ID: Image of blue background with cartoon dancers moving to wavy music notes behind them. Text reads Brookline Therapeutic Recreation and Abilities Dance Boston : 6 week Creative Movement Class. Ages 14+. What to expect: Music for all interests; Easy to follow moves; All fitness levels and abilities welcome; Have fun with movement and friends! Thursdays 6 pm - 7 pm.
October 22nd - November 19th. Tappan Dance Studio - Brookline High School

09/26/2026

Listen to dear friend to ADB Giselle Byrd, executive director of the theater offensive and commissioner of MA State Commission of the Status of Women, discuss the importance of Firebird Part 2. We're glad to be seen by our colleagues this way and know that the broader community must support. We are fundraising to ensure that we can continue this level of high quality productions into 2027 and beyond. We are asking our community to commit $10/month because we cannot exist without you. Now is the time to invest in the cultural renaissance happening in Boston and beyond. Check out abilitiesdanceboston.org/donate for more information.
ID: Giselle speaking to camera with painted red feather backdrop. Cuts to picture of Giselle and Ellice in firebird costume. Cuts to Ellice doing floor work as she bends and spins. Cuts to picture of Ellice's grandmother in Firebird headdress and red outfit. Cuts to Ellice climbing up silks balancing with one foot to knee then leaning back to balance in the air.

ADB is thrilled that Ellice Patterson is being honored at the 2026 National Dance Educator Conference for outstanding le...
09/24/2026

ADB is thrilled that Ellice Patterson is being honored at the 2026 National Dance Educator Conference for outstanding leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We also thank the current and past community engagement teachers that enacted Ellice's plan to support disabled and diverse students across greater Boston and beyond. While only with us for a year 2024-2025, past community engagement director Katherine DiBona also helped to create and sustain partnerships with various sites and is also thanked. Mostly, an additional thanks to past and current ADB students who highlighted this rigorous yet inclusive dance education can be supportive of all ages and identities. Thank you for weaving disability justice in dance education for the physical/social/emotional wellness of all students.
ID: 1st image: Meet the 2026 NDEO award recipients. Hear from them at the NDEO National Conference. NDEO 2026 National Award Recipient Ellice Patterson Outstanding Dance Educator (error should say leadership) Diversity Equity and Inclusion. image of Ellice smiling in a black cut off jumpsuit. Ellice's bio on final slide.

🔥There's only one last chance until the Firebird descends🔥TODAY (9/20) at 2 pm There won't be a public recording so don'...
09/20/2026

🔥There's only one last chance until the Firebird descends🔥
TODAY (9/20) at 2 pm
There won't be a public recording so don't miss out on this ephemeral experience.
🎟️ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926
ID: Both images have ADB logo with text "One last chance until the Firebird descends; Sunday 9/20 at 2 pm; ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926". First image has purple background with Madison and Claire in arabesque in blue dresses. Second image shows more of the feather background. All dancers in black with arms sweeping overhead.

Two more chances until the Firebird descends🛬There won't be video after because we hope to tour this show beyond Boston ...
09/19/2026

Two more chances until the Firebird descends🛬
There won't be video after because we hope to tour this show beyond Boston so you really won't want to miss this performance.
See this ephemeral experience at the Strand Theater In Boston📍
Saturday 9/19 7:00 pm
Sunday 9/20 2:00 pm
ID: First image - Dara and Claire in black and white jumpsuits with letters in various places. Dara supporting Claire mid lift holding hands as Claire is mid leap. Second image - Ellice in red Firebird dress hanging high from blue silks as she's hanging by both hands. Feather set in the background with" Coming to Carry me" in the feather bones.

09/17/2026

🔥Founder Ellice discusses her experience in the process and the pivotal question of the ballet:

🫶🏾What does it mean to be a human being? 🫶🏾

Join as she untangles that question in the process and literally in the air🔥🪶
Be a part of the ephemeral experience of in person only this weekend (September 18 - 20).💫

🎟️ Grab tickets for YOU + your people:⁠
ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926⁠
⁠
Bring your friends. Share this post. Tag someone who needs to see this. 📲⁠
Let’s FILL THE HOUSE! ❤️‍🔥⁠
ID: Ellice speaking into a microphone with a computer background of the set with feathers hanging in the air with red lighting. Then cuts to her in the theatre speaking with a red shimmery dress before cutting back to her speaking to camera. Video cuts to her in Firebird costume doing some floor work with hands before rising and spinning into arabesque. then to a clip of drawing of jumpsuit into real costume. Then Ellice guiding a dancer through movement. Video cuts to three dancers hugging as camera goes down a hallway and sees musicians tuning instruments. Video then cuts back to Ellice speaking before ending with Ellice mid air in blue silks with one foot tied in she wraps it around her to then lean back. Video ends with show flyer with show information from the link above.

🔥 YOU ALREADY KNOW ELLICE PATTERSON! 🔥⁠Not only is she the founder/executive and artistic director, but the marketing di...
09/16/2026

🔥 YOU ALREADY KNOW ELLICE PATTERSON! 🔥⁠

Not only is she the founder/executive and artistic director, but the marketing director, development director, community engagement director, the list goes on and on.

Most notably she is The Firebird. You're going to want to see her descent into rage so she can ascend to generational joy.

🎟️ Grab tickets for YOU + your people:⁠
ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926⁠
⁠
Bring your friends. Share this post. Tag someone who needs to see this. 📲⁠
Let’s FILL THE HOUSE! ❤️‍🔥⁠
ID: 1st Image - Ellice in a red dress with sleeves and torn cuts at the bottom like flames. She's sitting with one arm bent in and the other underneath her chin. ADB logo and Firebird Part 2 Text reads "You already know Ellice Patterson Founder/Executive & Artistic Director. Performing in the Firebird Scene. See her shine off and onstage September 18 - 20. ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926 for more information. 2nd image - Black background with white text "Abilities Dance presents Firebird Part 2; September 18 - 20, 2026; In Person Only; Friday September 18th at 8:00 pm; Saturday September 19th at 7:00 pm; Sunday September 20th at 2:00 pm; Strand Theatre; 543 Columbia Rd. Boston, MA; Tickets: ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926" Dara with arms bent behind in black jumpsuit to the left. Amaal in chevron tunic with hands facing out and fingers outstretched to the right. Ellice in bright red dress with hand underneath chin looking out in the center.⁠
⁠

09/15/2026

🔥 MEET DARA CAPLEY! 🔥⁠

She isn't just the rehearsal director who ensures our dancers have what they need to thrive. She also is performing in the newscaster scene. Listen to what she has appreciated about the process as a rehearsal director and dancer.

We love a multitasking queen👀👑

🎟️ Grab tickets for YOU + your people:⁠
ticketstripe.com/adbfirebird926⁠
⁠
Bring your friends. Share this post. Tag someone who needs to see this. 📲⁠
Let’s FILL THE HOUSE! ❤️‍🔥⁠
ID: Image of Dara in arabesque with arms arced up and over one below with hands stretched with Dara voice over. There's also an image of Dara in same jumpsuit with a blue background as she stretches out on stage. It goes to a clip of a virtual rehearsal. It then goes to an in person rehearsal that she led in a couple of studio settings. It ends with her doing a part of her solo on stage before the ADB flyer comes up with show information at the link above.

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Boston, MA

Telephone

+17814654032

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