Dance For All
Dance For All
Dance For All is a multi-tiered program created to widen dance opportunities to those with disabilities and/or limited access to the art form. The program includes a training program for teachers, with a regular schedule of classes occurring at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center as well as locations throughout the community.
Dance For All was formed to address accessibility for this art form and has been generously funded by the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Family Foundation since its inception. Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge has spearheaded the program for the State of Louisiana and held its first informational session at the Louisiana Arts Summit in the spring of 2021. Conversations surrounding a formal training series and implementation followed, culminating in a visit by representatives of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge to the Nashville Ballet Company (NBC), which hosts an accessible dance program for community members entitled Adaptive Dance: New Perspectives.
The goal of providing professional education and networking on a statewide scale to dance professionals, educators, administrators, occupational therapists, and physical therapists so that students of all abilities can fully participate in the art of dance throughout the state includes a cohort of dance leaders with directives in implementation of accessible dance in their areas of practice. The leaders in the first cohort participated in sessions with Nashville Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Boston Ballet specifically in these companies’ accessible dance programs.
Class Instructors
Kaitlyn Odell
Kaitlyn Odell grew up in Gonzales, LA, training and competing in all styles of dance for 14 years. She has spent the past 8 years teaching dancers of all ages and abilities, including helping launch adaptive dance classes designed for children with unique physical, social, and cognitive needs. Kaitlyn holds dual degrees in Biological Engineering and Kinesiology with a minor in Dance from LSU and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans. She hopes to one day use dance as a form of physical therapy, combining her love of movement with her passion for helping others.
Bailey Floyd
Bailey Floyd is a Memphis native now living in Baton Rouge. With 23 years of training and a decade of competitive dance, she has earned numerous regional and national titles. She holds a B.A. in Dance, Psychology, and Biology from The University of Alabama, where she performed with the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and received multiple awards for performance, choreography, and academics. Bailey earned her Master of Occupational Therapy from UTHSC in 2024, receiving the President’s Award, and now practices in pediatrics while teaching at The Danse Difference. Through the Arts Council’s Dance For All Initiative, she combines her passions for dance, science, and community service."
Fall Session 2025 Schedule
There will be an initial workshop class on September 28th from 2:00pm - 3:00pm for instructors to evaluate each student’s dance/movement level. This evaluation does not determine class participation as the workshop is open to all.
September 28 from 2-3 PM: Initial workshop/assessments
October 5 from 2-4 PM: Classes begin
October 12 from 1-3 PM
October 19, November 2, 9, & 30 from 2-4 PM
Cohort Members:
Clare Cook, Basin Arts – Lafayette Parish
Giulia Fedeli, free-lance dancer – East Baton Rouge Parish
Anna Schwab – NOCCA – Orleans Parish
Gregory Schramel – New Orleans Ballet Theatre – Orleans Parish
Kaitlyn Odell, Dance instructor and Physical Therapy student – Ascension Parish
Jodey Bruno, The Dance Difference studio, Ascension Parish
Bailey Floyd, Occupational Therapist, Memphis, TN and East Baton Rouge Parish
Generous funding provided by:
