ballet without barriers

Ballet without Barriers is a new initiative seeking to ensure that Ballet Des Moines’ work is accessible to differently abled people across our community. This company-wide, season-long program creates a library of resources and engagement opportunities that celebrate and explore the different perspectives from which we can approach performance art.

The program will be guided by a new Accessibility Committee comprised of leaders from the disability space, who will confirm that we are building programs that are relevant, inclusive, and universally celebrated by all audiences.

Ballet without Barriers will engage a large and diverse audience through a variety of mediums, allowing for participation at the theater, in the studio, or from home. Plans include adaptive dance classes, written and recorded narratives of each performance, a new sensory-friendly matinee performance of The Nutcracker, and events exploring how our senses impact our experience of art.

ACCESSIBILITY COMMITTEE

Ashlea Lantz, Value Inclusion
Christopher Fears, Iowa Education for Deaf and Blind
Wendy Ingham, Variety
Josh Bodden, Ballet Des Moines 
Maggie Barsetti, Childserve
Amy Davis,  IRIS
Jill Wells, Artist
Daniel Van Sant, Harkin Institute
Ann Ungs, Dance Without Limits
Maryfrances Evans, IRIS

BALLET WITHOUT BARRIERS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Interested in sponsoring Ballet without Barriers?
Download our sponsorship proposal or contact Todd Rhoades, Director of Development, at todd@balletdesmoines.org.

Savoring the Senses: ballet without barriers dining experiences

  • SEPTEMBER 11 with Tom mattingly

    In partnership with The Harkin Institute and the Iowa School for the Deaf

    Using Tom Mattingly’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and its thrilling musical score, guests will experience the separate elements of this work before seeing and discussing the impact and interplay the music and choreography have on each other.

  • November 6 with eric trope & sarah dornink

    In partnership with Value Inclusion and IRIS
    SPONSORED BY: Weinhardt Law

    Guests will interpret elements of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker in a whole new light after exploring the quintessential ballet and all its variations with Artistic Director Eric Trope.

PURCHASE
SENSORY DINNER TICKETS

Tickets to our Sensory Dinners are $140/person and include:

  • A three-course dinner with wine pairings

  • Reception with the artists

  • Exclusive preview of upcoming performance

  • Sensory experiences and Q&A with dancers and choreographer

ballet is for everybody

Ballet is for everyBODY! This season, BDM will begin offering Pilates, Adaptive Dance, and Fundamentals of Movement classes to the public, both on and off-site. These opportunities will extend the transformative power of dance beyond the stage and bring its physical, emotional, and social benefits directly into the lives of those who need it most.

These classes will be appropriate for dancers of all ages and abilities, from older adults managing chronic conditions to those recovering from illness or injury. Participants will experience improvements in mobility, strength, balance, coordination, and confidence, all while fostering self-awareness and a sense of agency in their bodies. By incorporating gentle, low-impact movement rooted in classical and therapeutic practices, these offerings are truly accessible and adaptable to every body.

Classes will include:

  • Adaptive Dance for Older Adults: Movement for Parkinson’s, Neuropathy, Arthritis & Mobility Challenges, including chair-based classes

  • Fundamentals of Movement: Repatterning the Body for Strength, Awareness, and Well-Being

  • Strengthen | Align | Restore: Rooted in classical Mat Pilates, this all-levels class is designed to build core strength, improve postural alignment, increase flexibility, and support whole-body wellness through mindful movement

sensory friendly nutcracker

Ballet Des Moines believes every child should get to enjoy the magic of The Nutcracker, regardless of accessibility needs. Our new Sensory Nutcracker performance and in-theater experience is designed to welcome guests who are neurodiverse, have sensory sensitivities, or need additional accessibility accommodations.

What to expect during a sensory Nutcracker Matinee:

  • The house lights will not be completely dark during the show.

  • There will be no flashing or strobe lights. Loud noises from the stage will be restricted.

  • Some audience noise and/or talking might occur and is permitted.

  • Audience members will be allowed back to their seats if they must step away. Soothing devices such as iPads will be permitted.

  • Headsets will be available for audio description listening.
    American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted announcements will be available.

The sensory performance of The Nutcracker is planned to take place Friday, December 12, at 10:30am at Hoyt Sherman Place. For inquiries please contact Beau Kenyon, Director of Education & Outreach, at beau@balletdesmoines.org.

TAKE A CLASS AT BDM

Offered at our downtown Lauridsen Campus for Arts and Education, classes are taught by our professional dancers and accredited staff at Ballet Des Moines. Current class offers under the Ballet without Barriers umbrella include:

Every. Body. Dance: Movement for All Abilities
A research-informed approach to movement and wellness for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy, arthritis, joint degeneration, and other age-related physical or neurological conditions. This class uses music and dance to improve motor function, enhance balance and coordination, support cognitive function, and foster emotional well-being. Exercises can be performed seated or standing and are tailored to meet the diverse needs and abilities of each participant.

Fundamentals of Movement
This mat-based class blends yoga, Pilates, Laban-Bartenieff fundamentals, and physical therapy-informed exercises to help participants reconnect with their bodies and move with greater awareness, ease, and efficiency. Focusing on foundational movement patterns, breath, and alignment, the class is designed to reawaken underused muscles, reengage core stability, and re-pattern habitual movement to support long-term mobility and physical resilience.

BALLET NARRATIVES

Descriptions will be provided for all music and choreography in the 25/26 season: an anticipated 12 transcripts across four productions, created by professional dancers and musicians.

Ballet narration aims to provide visually impaired or blind audience members with detailed descriptions of the visual elements of our ballet performances. This narration includes descriptions of the dancers' movements, costumes, sets, and the overall dramatic action. For the hearing-impaired, written descriptions of each musical score will also be produced, allowing all guests to experience the texture and depth that music adds to our performances.

RESOURCES

PODCAST INTERVIEWS

A series of audio recordings and transcripts will feature in-depth conversations between artists, advocates, and representatives from differently abled communities, diving deeper into the importance of truly accessible and inclusive art.

Episode: FORWARD
A conversation exploring the impact of sound and silence on artists and their audiences and how movement can act as a direct translation of music.

Episode: NUTCRACKER
A discussion about how choreography can be described in words, not only for the sight-impaired but as an additional layer of experience for all audiences.

Episode: NOTHING HOLDS STILL
A conversation with Artistic Director Eric Trope discussing how movement and creative practice support mental health and wellbeing.