AXIS Dance Company

Over 1,000 of you joined our community after discovering our Accessible Ballet video.
So we wanted to say hello.

AXIS Dance Company collaborates with disabled, non-disabled, D/deaf, and neurodivergent artists to create world-class dance, expand access to movement, and challenge perceptions of dance and disability.

This is a glimpse of who we are, what we do, and what we believe.
We're glad you're here. 💜

Photos by Steve Disenhof, Doug Kaye, Rob Suguitan & more.



Image descriptions available in alt text.
Video descriptions:
Slide 3: Footage of AXIS dancers in rehearsal, moving through synchronous choreography with Natasha Adorlee, fading into a purple backdrop. Text reads We don't just perform. We create original works with leading choreographers from around the world.
Slide 5: Footage of a group of dancers and students in a workshop at AXIS' Summer Intensive.
Slide 9: Footage of AXIS taking bows on a darkened stage. Text reads Thank you for being here.

We're heading to the Conference! 🎉

AXIS Dance Company is excited to join presenters, artists, and arts leaders from across the region to share ideas, build partnerships, and explore the future of accessible, inclusive performance.

If you'll be at WAA, we'd love to connect. Stop by, say hello, and let's talk about bringing world-class integrated dance to your community.

Learn more about the conference and register to attend at https://www.westarts.org/conference. See you there!



Image description:
Colorful illustrated text graphic with a bubbly font reading I'm exhibiting at WAA OAK; September 8-11, Oakland.

Happy Birthday to the incredible ! 🎉💜

Julie leads with creativity, generosity, and heart, and AXIS is so lucky to have her as part of our team!

Join us in wishing her the happiest of birthdays! 🎂



Image Description:
Polaroid of Julie Hasushi, a disabled woman of Brazilian/Japanese descent, wearing all black with black sunglasses, smiles while seated in a wheelchair in front of a concrete staircase, with stickers of glitter, a party hat, and stars, layered over a blue backdrop. Text reads Happy Birthday Julie.
Nadia, using a standing support, playfully spins Julie in a circle in the AXIS studio while both laugh.

What does community care look like in your spaces?

Accessibility is often talked about as a service. We think of it as a relationship.

At its best, accessibility creates the conditions for people to care for one another, participate fully, and show up as themselves. Many of the practices we now recognize as accessibility emerged from disabled communities finding ways to support each other when existing systems fell short.

Community care isn't a side effect of access. It's one of its greatest strengths.

Photo by Steve Disenhof

Dancers Hannah Westbrook, JanpiStar, Julie Hasushi, Alaja Badalich



Image Description:
Bold white text reads Accessibility is Community Care, layered under an image of four disabled, non-disabled and neurodivergent dancers captured in motion with humor an dynamic energy, wearing coordinated grey costumes.

Join us as we celebrate the beginning of AXIS Dance Company's 40th anniversary season and welcome our new Executive Director, Holly Million! 💜

This free community gathering is an opportunity to connect with the artists, audiences, partners, and supporters who have helped shape AXIS since 1987—and to hear Holly's vision for the next chapter of our journey.

Come celebrate nearly four decades of artistry, accessibility, and community with us. Light refreshments will be provided.

📍 The Hub | 3201 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
📅 Friday, September 11
🕓 4:00–6:00 PM

🎉 Free to attend. Please RSVP at the link in bio so we can plan for food and refreshments. Accessibility details also available at the event link in the comments.

We can't wait to celebrate with you!



Image Description:
Colorful motion blurred image of AXIS in performance, layered under bold white graphic text reading 40 Years of AXIS; Welcome Holly Million. Full text included in caption.

Every young person deserves the chance to see themselves reflected in dance.

AXIS Youth Performances invite students into a world where disability, creativity, and movement are celebrated. Through performances and conversations with our artists, students discover that there isn't just one way to dance—there are endless ways to move, express, and belong.

We're proud to bring accessible, inclusive dance experiences to schools and communities, inspiring the next generation of artists, thinkers, and changemakers.

Learn more about bringing AXIS to your school at the link in bio.



Image Descriptions:
Blue graphic grid with two translucent images of AXIS youth workshops; Bold white text reads AXIS Youth Performances & Workshops
High school-aged girls run through choreography in a gymnasium, facing a mirrored wall.
AXIS dancers perform on a blue and pink-lit stage for an auditorium of young students.
AXIS dancers and workshop participants rehearsing unison choreography on a large stage, facing backstage and away from the camera.

Accessibility is built through relationships.

Authentic access starts with listening to disabled artists and respecting the many ways people communicate, collaborate, and move through time. That may mean rethinking rigid timelines, allowing for Crip time, and creating processes that can adapt to the people in the room.

Access isn’t something we design for people from a distance. It grows through trust, communication, and an ongoing willingness to learn from one another.

What would change if relationship-building came before the checklist?



Image Description:
Anna and Alaja in performance on a darkened stage, wearing colorful costumes. Anna is in a reclining posture, supported by Alaja's foot, who is lying on the floor with one foot raised. Anna's arm and leg are extended out and upward. Bold white text reads Accessibility is...Relationship Building.

Accessibility is safety.

It creates the conditions for us to take care of each other, something that often falls on disabled people to do for other disabled people. As a result, it’s disability mutual aid and care work that can often teach us the most about how accessibility can be made truly useful.



Image Description:
Hannah, Julie, and Janpi in performance on stage, wearing colorful costumes, holding hands in a row, with Hannah pulling Julie who is seated in a wheelchair. Bold white text reads Accessibility is...Safety.