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Dance>Detour
"We take an alternative route."
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About Us
Our mission is to educate and encourage others to envision dance and performance expression through
a broader scope – by expanding the concept of what dance IS and WHO can be involved. We
creatively and effectively demonstrate that capable performers with disabilities EXIST and have
significant contributions to make to the arts.
Our wide range of program options include main stage performances, lecture demonstrations, tailored
workshops, and multi-level training for children and adults of all sizes, ages, and abilities. Our evolving
repertoire ranges from classical ballet – to more interpretive forms of modern, jazz, African, and
contemporary dance.
Founded in 1995, Dance>Detour is Chicago’s first professional “diverse-abilities” dance company
comprised of multi-talented artists (with and without disabilities). The focus of our work is solely
dedicated to the art of physically integrated dance and collaborations that include dancers of all abilities
who explore movement possibilities together as EQUALS.
Dance>Detour’s philosophy is that “Everyone Can Dance”, and that there is quality in all types of
movement – far beyond typical perspectives and stereotypes that a dancer must be someone of a
particular age, with a certain type of body, and/or uniform style of movement.
As an arts/advocacy performance company, our goal is to promote full participation, equal access,
expert training, and inclusive dance opportunities for performers with disabilities.
Dance>Detour performed at the first Cultural Paralympiad in Atlanta, GA (August, 1996). In 1997,
Dance>Detour’s wheelchair dancers premiered as the first dancers with disabilities in a collaborative
piece with The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago (May, 1997). In addition, Artistic Director, Alana Wallace
(who was named by Today’s Chicago Woman publication as one of the 1997 “100 Women Making a
Difference”) was featured in a performance work with Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance
Project in “PASTForward” (Nov., 2000). Dance>Detour has also collaborated in dance with other
traditional companies such as Bryant Ballet of Chicago, The Chicago Moving Company, Mayfair
Academy, and Momenta. The past ten years, the company has received extensive media coverage:
CNN-TV News; WLS-TV; ABC-TV; WBBM CBS-TV; WGN-TV; CLTV; WYCC-TV; Jet Magazine;
Chicago Newspapers – The Sun-Times, The Tribune, The Defender, The Reader and PerformInk.
