REDEFINING DANCE & MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL!

"There is no more defiant a land that I can think of than AXIS. They showed me what dance could be." -Bill T. Jones

Prepare to leave all your preconceptions at the door...

AXIS Dance Company, one of the world’s most acclaimed and innovative ensembles of performers with and without disabilities, will change the way you think about dance and the possibilities of the human body forever. Founded in 1987, AXIS has become a jewel of contemporary dance and disability culture. AXIS has paved the way for a powerful contemporary dance form - physically integrated dance- performing in over sixty cities nationwide, as well as in Europe and Siberia.

Under the Artistic Direction of Judith Smith, the Company’s list of collaborators read like a Who’s Who of contemporary dance-- Bill T. Jones, Stephen Petronio, Joe Goode, Joanna Haigood, Victoria Marks, Ann Carlson, Margaret Jenkins, Sonya Delwaide, Meredith Monk, Fred Frith and Joan Jeanrenaud. AXIS has received seven Isadora Duncan Dance Awards and an additional eight nominations. AXIS is also known for its unparalleled education/outreach program Dance Access and its youth component Dance Access/KIDS! that offer a kaleidoscope of events for adults and youth of all abilities locally and on tour.

AXIS Dance Company's mission is:

to create and perform contemporary dance that is developed through the collaboration of dancers with and without disabilities
to teach dance and educate about collaboration and disability through community education and outreach programs
to promote and support physically integrated dance locally, nationally and internationally

AXIS Dance Company is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible.

What people say about us:

“In an earlier era, AXIS was, understandably, set on justifying its existence. Today, the quality of the dancing takes your breath away.” – Allan Ulrich, San Francisco Chronicle

“Like much that is surprising in art … AXIS’s work instructs the viewer in how to appreciate it, and the lesson is delivered with cogent force: Sympathy is irrelevant. Forget what isn’t here, and pay attention to what is.” – Bruce Weber, The New York Times

“Working with AXIS Dance Company was one of my most satisfying experiences as a presenter. I would recommend the company to any presenter who is serious about showcasing enjoyable, engaging, thought provoking dance!” – Rhys Mason, The JCCSF

"...AXIS reminds us that within every restriction and every limitation, the number of possible artistic choices is limitless. And the most stirring art occurs when a human being strains against those limits. This is why we continue to look forward to every single AXIS performance." Tom Metz, Friend & Donor