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Welcome to AllPlay Dance

Our objective is to develop an inclusive dance teaching model that enables children of all abilities to experience dance.

The AllPlay Dance program takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore the benefits of dance for children with disability, and to create resources for families and dance professionals to help children thrive in inclusive dance programs.

Watch video

Meet Astrid and Ethan

Astrid talks about what dancing means to her son Ethan.

For more stories like this, see our AllPlay Dance in Action.

Benefits of dancing

There are many benefits of dancing. Here are some of them.

  • Physical fitness

  • Improved motor skills

  • Emotional expression

  • Social interaction

  • Boost in confidence

  • Improved concentration

  • Stress reduction

  • Improved creativity

Myth: But dancing is not for everyone, right?
Fact: Everyone can benefit from dancing!

Research shows that getting children moving results in improved physical, social and emotional, and learning outcomes.

Dancing can be enjoyed by all children. AllPlay Dance guides, resources and professional development use the best available evidence and have been co-designed with the community to support children with disability, including:

  • ADHD
  • Anxiety
  • Autism
  • Blind and low vision
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Intellectual disability
  • Physical disability

It's all about creating opportunities for young people to benefit from dancing.

Watch video

Meet Bridget and Morgan

Bridget has Cerebral Palsy and is a horse-rider. Morgan is now a professional dancer. Having met at an AllPlay Dance session, the two girls clicked, and together they discovered what dancing and inclusion means to them.

AllPlay Dance Resources

Information, practical tips and strategies, dance stories and videos to help you support children of all abilities.

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All resources and strategies provided on this website are backed by research and developed in consultation with children with disability and their families, teachers and health professionals. Visit AllPlay website to learn more about our research.

AllPlay Dance Directory

There are many dance studios and schools who strive to accommodate students with diverse abilities.

Use this Directory to find an inclusive dance studio near you.

Find a dance studio

Backed by research

All resources and strategies provided on this website are AllPlay-endorsed. Here's what it means.

All the information, resources and strategies on this website have been developed, reviewed and approved by the AllPlay team, which includes:

  • clinical and neuropsychologists,
  • child neurologists,
  • psychiatrists,
  • teachers,
  • educators,
  • education researchers,
  • physiotherapists,
  • public health experts,
  • health economists and
  • physical activity experts.

These strategies have been developed using the best available evidence and by hearing from over 300 people in the community, including individuals with disabilities, families, dance teachers, dance schools and peak dance bodies.

Our work is informed by and contributes to our academic field of research.

Read more about AllPlay here.