Quality of Life Grants Spotlight: Axis Dance Company
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center created a special grants category (COVID-19: Addressing Social Isolation) for non-profit organizations to address social isolation by providing programs and projects to support the physical and mental health of people living with paralysis.
Dance has the power to free us of the stressors surrounding us. We can tune into our body for a few minutes while letting go. Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, we lost the ability to go places that relieved us of our worries, anxiety, or other emotions. Participating in dance classes in person seemed impossible.
Axis Dance Company, located in Berkeley, California, recognized the need to stay connected with the paralysis community during COVID-19 social isolation regulations. The organization created Axis for All to keep the community connected and to increase its reach with new partners. They wanted to decrease feelings of isolation, separation, and lack of access to places once available pre-pandemic.
With a grant totaling $33,700 from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the Axis Dance Company achieved its dream by forming ‘”Axis for All”. One participant praised the program, commenting that its’ offerings had helped her through the first few years of the pandemic. It “brought so much joy to me, and I continue on my journey feeling very appreciative of my dance network."
Axis for All offers ballet, Brazilian contemporary, and wheelchair technique and other classes through free, on-demand virtual workshops. The workshop sessions are designed to support those who are disabled or are paralyzed. Axis for All was designed to improve the well-being of people living with paralysis and their communities through guided movement, dance, and meditation.
The Axis for All workshop classes offered through the program are designed so anyone, regardless of age or ability, can find something they enjoy. Participants appreciate the inclusiveness; one participant said, "It was beautiful to be part of a space for people of all abilities." When asked what they thought of the program, one person responded, "I’m very thankful for the safe space AXIS created."
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All the on-demand classes include seated/wheelchair-based instruction and the classes are taught by professional artists living with paralysis. Additionally, the workshops are closed-captioned for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. A session participant shared with Axis for All how they felt, "Thank you so much again for the work that you all are doing. I feel connected to you all in so many ways."
Axis for All has collaborated with over a dozen existing and new community partners throughout the grant period to maximize the program’s impact on the paralysis community. Each partner is deeply rooted in its community of people living with paralysis. Because of Axis for All’s popularity, the program has expanded from one to three sessions. Furthermore, with the support of the grant received from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the Axis Dance Company could open the free program for international participant access.
Because of the program's success, the Axis for All program is available on the Axis Dance Company’s website. People with paralysis can skip the sign-up process and take the classes anytime and anywhere.
The Axis Dance Company looks forward to continuing its Axis for All program virtually and in person.
To learn more about the Reeve Foundation’s Quality of Life Grants Program, please see www.ChristopherReeve.org/QOL.
Christina Sisti, DPS, MPH, MS, is a bioethicist and health care policy advocate. She works to create awareness and improve healthcare policy for those with long-term health issues.