Ellice Patterson’s love for dance began when she was growing up in rural Mississippi. However, when she arrived in Boston, Patterson discovered that she was unable to find a space to perform professionally.
Patterson founded Abilities Dance-Boston in 2017 because her options were so limited. According to her website, Patterson says she asked a choreographer at one dance company if there was one who would modify it to meet her requirements.
“She kept repeating that this was a professional company. I was angered by that interaction,” she says. “I decided that if there was not an institution for me and run by people like me then I would create it.”
Patterson, who has been dancing since she was 4 years old, uses a walker, crutches and a wheelchair during her performances.
Here is a conversation with Patterson. The full interview can be found here.
In Boston, Ellice Patterson discovered that accessibility to dance was an issue.
“I was coming into a place where I wanted to be able to dance professionally, but other folks weren’t working in spaces that were accessible, or just not willing to adapt or conform their classes or choreography,” she says. “And so with different attempts at trying to fit into these spaces and not being successful, realized that I would have to create my own space.”
Abilities Dance has two different programs. They consist of adult artists with and without disabilities. Each contributes not only dancing and choreography, but also music, composing and access measures.
New York City resident Leslie Freeman-Taub came to Boston for in-person rehearsals. She says she began dancing as a child as a substitute for physical therapy. Her mother drove nearly two hours to attend ballet classes.
“And then we had a performance,” Freeman-Taub says. “I was allowed to dance like in the background in the chorus, but I wasn’t allowed to dance a meaningful role.
“And at that point, my teacher told me that I could not be on a stage.”
For a recent performance of “The Banned Ballet” — which starred Freeman-Taub — Patterson says there was a captioner available for the audio descriptions in person, along with an ASL interpreter for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.
“I think it’s important to allow accommodations for folks to be able to really show up in their best selves,” Patterson says.
She adds that the dance company is “first and foremost,” creating work for the community.
“When there is so much content that is not accessible, we try our best to be as accessible as possible,” Patterson says. “I think that most people don’t realize accessibility is achievable.
“A lot of it is just a mindset shift.”
Patterson says that making the work more inclusive means more people have access, “and we wanna be brought into so many different spaces.”
“It’s possible, you just have to make it work,” she says.
