Global Spotlight: Inclusive Dance in Africa

Across the continent, dance has long been tied to community and ritual. Inclusive programs in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa are fusing tradition with accessibility, making sure kids in underserved regions can join. These projects don’t just preserve culture—they amplify it.

Key Initiatives and Organizations

African Dance Disability Network (ADDN)

• Connects practitioners and researchers in disability of dance across Africa, fostering a community with a focus on making disability visible and celebrating dance as a way of belonging.

Arts Ability Festival

• Hosted by the UNMUTE Dance Company in Cape Town.

• A prominent inclusive arts festival that collaborates with artists (with and without disabilities) from South Africa + other African countries.

  • creates accessible platforms for artistic creation

Body Moves International Inclusive Dance Festival

• Hosted by Sibikwa Arts Centre

• Festival that is focused on cultural exchange and collaboration between those with and without disabilities from Africa & Europe.

Choreographer Led-Programs

• For Example: In South Africa, Gladys Agulhas (a choreographer) leader workshops and classes with an effort to create more inclusive dance classes in which everyone is treated with equal respect.