Everyone Dance: A Program of Joy

An Interview with Stefanie Nelson

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

Stefanie Nelson is a choreographer based in New York City and the director of Stefanie Nelson Dancegroup. Through a partnership with AHRC NYC, a disability service organization, Stefanie created Everyone Dance, a program that provides creative environments for dancers with disabilities in New York City. Here Stefanie shares the impetus behind Everyone Dance, how the program is run, and how it has changed her outlook on dance.

All photos courtesy Stefanie Nelson.

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What shaped you as a dance artist?

This year marks the 25th anniversary of my company — a milestone that still surprises me. Dance wasn’t always the obvious path. In college, I was pre-med, a choice that, in hindsight, lacked self-awareness. I loved learning, especially English and psychology, but dance had always been a quiet passion I carried with me. I told myself I’d dance for a year after graduating. That “year” became a life.

The real beginning came earlier. I grew up taking piano lessons, which I didn’t enjoy. One day, I finally summoned the courage to tell my mom I wanted to quit. She suggested I come with her to a dance class instead. I was a tomboy then — the only girl on the little league team for years — and had never imagined myself in a dance studio. But something clicked. That first class lit a spark.

When I moved back to New York after college, I spent a year taking classes at Cunningham, then another at Paul Taylor, trying to absorb everything I could about the NYC dance scene. I freelanced for years, dancing with many choreographers, including the legendary Anna Sokolow before she passed. But after a while, I found myself less motivated during other people’s rehearsals. During a rehearsal with Chris Gilles, he praised my choreographic instincts. That small affirmation, the right place, the right timing, and the right context, lit a spark that launched my choreographic journey.

How would you describe your company?

My work is rooted in contemporary dance, having been described as “instinctual, untamed, and edgy,” deeply influenced by the legacy of Anna Sokolow, Pina Bausch, and the tradition of Tanztheater. Anna Sokolow used to say, “Never move without a thousand images in your mind.” My choreography is concept-driven but never so opaque to be inaccessible.

How did you start the program Everyone Dance?

In 2014, I was hired by AHRC NYC, a disability service organization, because of my experience creating Dance Italia, a month-long, international, summer dance program in Lucca, Italy. AHRC NYC was looking for someone who could build a volunteer program.  Even though I had no prior experience working with people with disabilities, I was hired to create the ONE for ONE program because I had a proven track record of building meaningful community programs.

The idea came from an advocate in AHRC’s residential department who noticed that people who were friends with individuals receiving support were often paid employees. He wanted to create volunteer relationships that weren’t hierarchical. We developed a program that paired people based on shared interests, like knitting for example. If someone liked knitting, they would meet with a volunteer who liked knitting and knit together. Once the volunteer program was established, I applied for grants to start a dance and arts program for AHRC NYC. I wanted to see if we could get free dance classes and performance opportunities for people who have never had the opportunity to claim dance as an identity. We called it Everyone Dance.

What kinds of people within the disability community does Everyone Dance mostly work with?

Mostly people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, the stepchild of the disability funding world. Most recent funding for disability in the arts has been in support of physically disabled people.

How have you made the dance classes accessible for that population, especially since you didn’t previously have a background in disability?

We make sure the rehearsal and performance spaces are fully ADA compliant. We also take care to be sensitive about the music we play, avoiding anything that might be triggering. For example, we brought in someone with personal experience — a woman whose sister has autism — to lead classes for people on the spectrum.

I adjust to who is in the room with me. If it’s someone with cerebral palsy, and we’re doing turns on a leg they can’t do turns on, then do it on the other leg, or find another way to do it. It’s not about outcomes; it’s about enjoyment.

What I found best was to go in with prompts and be ready to pivot at any moment, depending on who is in the room and what the energy is. A lot of it is structured improvisation and having tools to pull from. I give each person a chance to make their own movement, so they get a chance to feel leadership and ownership.

The key to the classes is to remain flexible and adapt to whoever is in the room. Everyone moves how they are able and, ideally, leaves a little happier than when they arrived and a lot sweatier. It’s really that simple.

Interestingly, I don’t teach classes regularly anymore. Early on, I realized there was a hierarchy when a nondisabled person taught dancers with disabilities. One day I arrived late, and one of the people we support was leading the class — teaching an entire Beyoncé video! Since then, the classes are mostly led by individuals who either receive services from AHRC or hold supervisory roles there. It’s been a powerful shift toward community leadership and inclusion.

Have the classes evolved since you stepped back from teaching?

Absolutely. The classes have taken on a new energy, especially because the people leading them now tend to gravitate toward street dance and pop culture — think viral dance videos and high-energy movement. That said, we’ve learned that rigid choreography and counts don’t serve this population well. The classes function more like Zumba in a way — participants follow the leader in continuous movement, with plenty of room for personal interpretation. Sometimes they move in a circle, sometimes they go across the floor. It’s flexible, responsive, and rooted in joy.

What are the performances like?

They’re celebrations. Sometimes the group chooses to set choreography and works on it over the course of several classes. Other times it’s more about sharing the energy and creativity that’s been built together. The performances always end with a big dance party, which, honestly, is the best part. Everyone gets up and moves, no rules, no pressure, just pure, communal joy.

How is the program organized?

We currently run two programs: Moving Memory for seniors — which operates in every borough except Staten Island — and Everyone Dance, which is active in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Everyone Dance began as a pilot, offering 10- to 12-week workshops, but it quickly grew into an ongoing series of weekly classes.

Each class is scheduled for two hours to allow plenty of time for a warm-up, movement exploration, and cool-down. The structure is intentionally fluid. We start with about 30 minutes of gentle warm-up and stretching, including frequent breaks, and allowing the pacing to be determined by the group’s energy. Early on, we tried one-hour classes, but they felt too rushed, so we shifted to longer sessions to better support the needs of the participants.

While we initially held classes in AHRC facilities, we found that booking independent studio space helped us expand the program’s reach and create a stronger sense of being part of the broader community.

Are the classes all ages?

Right now, the classes are for adults. We previously offered a series at a high school that supported students on the autism spectrum, but due to logistical and budget limitations, we weren’t able to continue. Currently, everyone who participates receives adult day services or employment business services through AHRC NYC.

How big are the classes?

Generally, they have 8 to 15 people, never more than 20.

How has Everyone Dance impacted your work with your company?

Honestly, it’s had a profound impact. I’ve always wrestled with big questions about dance: why it matters, what it offers the world. That kind of existential questioning has always been with me.

When I think about what brings me the most happiness and least amount of stress in my work, it’s Everyone Dance. There’s no judgment in those classes, no pressure — just people showing up as they are, fully present. It’s incredibly grounding.

That spirit has really shifted the way I work in the studio. I try to bring more openness, more curiosity, and less pressure into the creative process. Of course, choreographing a piece still comes with its own weight. There’s always a certain vulnerability when you put something out into the world. But Everyone Dance has helped me let go of perfectionism. It has reminded me that what matters most is authenticity.

After launching the program, SND’s board of directors decided we should rewrite our mission statement to include “joy.” That’s what I want to cultivate, and that’s what I want people to walk away with.

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To learn more about Stefanie’s work, visit www.sndancegroup.org.

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