AXIS Dance Company

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.

Accessibility is not an add-on. When prioritized, it can become a vital part of the creative process itself.

Captions, ASL interpretation, audio description, visual descriptions, and other access tools are often treated as things added after a work is already complete. But disabled artists continue to show us another possibility: access as material, access as design, access as artistry.

What happens when access isn't layered onto the work, but built into its DNA?



Photo by Steven Disenhof

Choreography by Christopher Unpezverde Nuñez
Dancers: JanpiStar, Alaja Badalich, Anna Gichan, Hannah Westbrook

Image description:
Bold white text reads Accessibility is Artful, layered under an image of four disabled, Deaf and non-disabled dancers captured in side profile as they turn in unision. They wear brightly colored, athletic costumes

Thank you to The Dance Enthusiast for the wonderful feature on AXIS’ Big Umbrella Festival appearance!

“[AXIS] not only challenges biases and moves the field forward for disabled dancers, but also conceives bright, new perspectives on dance for all”. —

We’re grateful to see Patterns recognized not only as a performance, but as an example of what becomes possible when access, artistry, and disability culture are centered from the beginning.

Image Description:
An artistically blurred image of an AXIS dancer Anna Gichan in bright rainbow colors whirling around space. Bold white text features the quote included in the caption. Pink logo for The Dance Enthusiast, and white AXIS logo also included.

an incredible residency at the University of Virginia 💜

We spent the week learning alongside students who showed up with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to challenge traditional ideas about dance and technique.

One student shared: “This has expanded on my ideas of dance. The class pushed me even further.”

Next up—AXIS for All and AXIS Summer Intensive, coming this Summer!



📸 Photo 1 by Tom Daly

Image Descriptions:

1. AXIS dancers Hannah Westbrook, Julie Hasushi and Alaja Badalich lead a teaching workshop at UVA.
2. Dancers in motion with arms extended out to the left in a rectangular shape while Alaja coaches choreography on the stage.
3. AXIS Dancers and workshop participants move through choreography together on a stage, their arms extended up, leaning to the right, while Engagement Coordinator Alannah watches, seated, in the foreground.
4. Nadia Adame, Katie and Kim from University of Virginia take a selfie in front of the Culbreth Theatre entrance.

What an honor thrill to perform Patterns at Lincoln Center! 🎉

Thank you to Lincoln Center for having us 💗

Here are a few of the highlights!



Image Description:
Cityscape photo of Lincoln Center from a distance during daytime under a clear blue sky.
2. AXIS dancers Julie and Janpi flash peace signs, wearing sunglasses and colorful hoodies while seated in wheelchairs on stage at Lincoln Center during a pre-show rehearsal.
3. Blurry photo of Nadia Adame and AXIS dancer Hannah mid-movement during rehearsal, arms extended towards eachother and holding hands while both seated on the floor.
4. Sign post outside Lincoln Center with a flyer for the Big Umbrella Festival.

🚨 DEADLINE EXTENDED! Just two more days to apply for AXIS Summer Intensive 2026.

Join disabled, non-disabled, D/deaf, and neurodivergent movers and educators from around the world for our 20th annual 6-day Intensive, July 13–18 at UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Dance Studio.
Train with AXIS artists through improvisation, choreography & performance, accessible movement classes, and disability dance culture. Teacher Training Modules I & II will also be offered.

🗓 July 13–18, 2026
📍 UC Berkeley
🕛 Updated deadline: Saturday May 2

Scholarships available.
Learn more and apply at the link in bio.



Image Description:
Flyer for AXIS Summer Intensive 2026, a yellow-tinted photo of AXIS dancer Julie, smiling while seated in her wheelchair during a group class. Overlaid text reads July 13–18, 2026 at UC Berkeley Bancroft Dance Studio, Application's due May 2. A purple gradient star features bold white text reading Deadline Extended to May 2.

Happy Birthday to our Artistic Director, Nadia Adame! 🎉💜

We’re grateful for the energy, leadership, and imagination she brings to AXIS every day.

Join us in celebrating Nadia! 🎂



Image Description:

1. Nadia Adame smiling over a purple gradient backdrop, with white text that reads Happy Birthday Nadia.
2. Nadia coaching AXIS rehearsal for Kinematic / Kinesthetic, sitting against a mirrored wall in the AXIS studio, watching dancers move through choreography.
3. Dancers in movement inside the studio during AXIS' Summer Intensive.
4. Nadia and Danae Rees smile for a selfie in front of a Dance USA conference backdrop, cast in a purple light.
5. Nadia and AXIS company dancers smile for a group selfie with the photographer of a company photoshoot.