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Boston Ballet's Adaptive Dance Program
At Boston Ballet School, we believe dance is for everyone! Founded in 2002 as the first program of its kind in the world, the Adaptive Dance Program is a full school-year, age-based program that provides dance instruction to students of all disabilities from 2 years old to adult. Classes have an average size of 8 students with a minimum of 4 staff members: a trained Boston Ballet School faculty member, an assistant, a physical or occupational therapist, and a musician.
Adaptive Dance offers dynamic creative dance classes that blend movement, imagination, and artistic expression. Using the language of creative dance and elements of ballet vocabulary, students develop body awareness, spatial awareness, and musicality in a supportive and engaging studio environment. This is a dance class, not a traditional ballet class. While ballet principles are incorporated, our focus is on fostering self-expression through creative dance, improvisation, and joy of movement.
Hand in Hand–Primary (ages 2–7): This curriculum focuses primarily on body awareness. This theme addresses what moving is, beginning with encouraging the student to use their whole body in each activity.
In the Primary level, students also begin working intensively on laterality, a skill that will continue to be developed throughout the subsequent levels. At this stage, awareness of music focuses mainly on simple concepts such as stop and go.
Youth–Teen (ages 8–17): Additional dance concepts are introduced and explored. While students continue to deepen their understanding of body awareness (body isolation, coordination, balance, shape, and body initiation), greater emphasis is now placed on the concept of space (place, size, level, direction) as well as the concept of movement (locomotor and non-locomotor actions).
Students develop more musical understanding using two musical elements: the introduction and beat of the music. In these levels students are encouraged to expand the vocabulary of their movements.
Young Adult (ages 18–22): Introduction of additional creative dance work inspired by the María Fux method®.
Adaptive Adult Foundations (ages 22+): Faculty will incorporate elements of Maria Fux‘s Creative Dance Methodology®, which emphasizes a deep reconnection with the body through intuitive movement. This approach encourages students to explore creative expression, using movement as a language to communicate with the group, the environment and their own memories and experiences. Through guided improvisation and the use of props for inspiration, students will tap into their intuition, connect with their own internal rhythm, and cultivate a natural expressive flow of movement. This class does not follow the usual Adaptive Dance class 8:4 student/teacher ratio. Enrollment is recommended for students who can participate without individualized assistance, as the structure of this class does not allow for 1:1 support.
Before enrolling in classes, new families must sign up for a virtual intake interview with a Boston Ballet School administrator. The intake interview is an opportunity for us to gather relevant information about the student’s background, address any questions or concerns, and share goals. Once your intake interview has been conducted, an administrator will send you information on how to enroll.
New students will be able to sign up for intake interviews in mid-June. Intake interviews are for families interested registering for the 2026–2027 school year. For all other inquiries please email community@bostonballet.org.
All returning families will receive an email with a unique registration link along with their child’s class placement for the year. Space is limited and enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have not received an email with your registration link please email community@bostonballet.org.
Questions?
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact community@bostonballet.org.
HAND IN HAND (2–4 YEARS OLD WITH PARENT PARTICIPATION)
• Saturdays, 1:15–2:00pm – Newton
PRIMARY (5–7 YEARS OLD)
• Saturdays, 2:00–2:45pm – Newton
• Saturdays, 4:15–5:00pm – Newton
YOUTH (8–12 YEARS OLD)
• Saturdays, 2:45pm–3:45pm – Newton
• Saturdays, 3:45pm–4:45pm – Newton
• Saturdays, 4:45pm-5:45pm – Newton
TEENS (13–17 YEARS OLD)
• Saturdays, 3:45pm–4:45pm – Newton
• Saturdays, 4:45pm–5:45pm – Newton
YOUNG ADULT (18-21 YEARS OLD)
• Saturdays, 1:45–2:45pm – Newton
ADAPTIVE ADULT FOUNDATIONS (22+YEARS OLD)
• Saturdays, 2:45pm-4:15pm – Newton
Boston Ballet School faculty have been invited to present on the Adaptive Dance program at:
At Boston Ballet School, we believe dance is for everyone! Founded in 2002 as the first program of its kind in the world, the Adaptive Dance Program is a full school-year, age-based program that provides dance instruction to students of all disabilities from 2 years old to adult. Classes have an average size of 8 students with a minimum of 4 staff members: a trained Boston Ballet School faculty member, an assistant, a physical or occupational therapist, and a musician.
