Conversation on Audio Description for Dance: Salsa!
2023-12-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
Join Kerry Thompson and Kim Charlson for a lively virtual conversation about experiences with audio description for dance, with a focus on Salsa!
Register Here!
Kerry Thompson is the Inclusion & Accessibility Development Manager for the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund. She is also a latin dance instructor and the founder and organizer of Silent Rhythms, a nonprofit organization (501c3 ) located in Boston that encourages people to support inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts and dance. She is a member of the DeafBlind community and enjoys the lead role when dancing Salsa!
Kim Charlson is the Executive Director of the Perkins Library at Perkins School for the Blind. She also serves as the American Council of the Blind liaison to the ACVREP committee that is working on certification guidelines for Audio Describers.
Join us for an informative and lively conversation as we talk about Audio Description for Dance through the lens of patrons who are DeafBlind and Blind.

The Lion & Pirate Open Mic IN PERSON
2024-01-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard Street, Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Join your friends from The Lion & Pirate in person for an afternoon of poetry, music, seeing old friends, and lots more! Dancers welcome (as you can see from the photo above of Amy and Juan performing an improvised piece at our October 2023 open mic)!
At this inclusive open mic, we’re open to work in any genre: music, spoken word, improv, skits, storytelling, dance, poems or prose… Anything you can perform!
Featured performers to be announced; then, it will be your time to shine! Sign up at the event. Contact us if you have questions about our sound set up.
What to Expect:

The performer sign-up opens at 1:30 PM.
This is a disability-inclusive open mic, so all performers are welcome, regardless of their abilities. It’s a supportive and welcoming environment where everyone is encouraged to share their gifts.
The Lion & Pirate Open Mic is a great way to showcase your talents and connect with other artists.
We encourage a variety of performers, including musicians, poets, comedians, storytellers, and more to join us.
This will be an acoustic show (no amplification).
Both the office and the backyard are accessible, please email MsBoye for individual accessibility questions or requirements.
The event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

Image Description: A lion statue wearing an eye patch and a pirate’s skull-and-bones do-rag grips a microphone cable in its jaws. Text reads, “Join us in person! The Lion & The Pirate, an inclusive open mic for writers, performers, and musicians. 2 PM to 4 PM, Sunday, January 7, 2024. Art Spark Texas, 1152 San Bernard St., Austin, TX.” Logos for Art Spark Texas and the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities appear at the bottom.

Conversation on Audio Description with Thomas Reid and Colleen Connor
2024-02-22 13:00 - 14:00 | TX
Join us for an informative and lively virtual conversation as we talk about Audio Description for Dance and other topics through the lens of narrators and trainers who are Blind. We are thrilled to have this month’s conversation with Thomas Reid and Colleen Connor! Read more about our guests below.
Registrations are limited, so sign up today! Register here to receive the Zoom link.
Note: All conversations are presented with Real Time Captioning.
Thomas Reid is the host and producer of Reid My Mind Radio, a podcast featuring compelling people impacted by all degrees of blindness and disability. Through his annual season, “Flipping the Script on Audio Description” Reid explores the art and examines its implications on the community. A member of the Social Audio Description Collective and a freelance Audio Description Narrator, Thomas has appeared on projects for Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, PBS and more. He provides consultations for independent film makers, film festivals, co-facilitates workshops and serves as moderator or panelist for discussions on audio description and content accessibility.
Colleen Connor is the co-founder and Director of Audio Description Training Retreats and is based in Los Angeles, CA. Colleen earned a Bachelor’s in Music Theatre from The Catholic University of America and attended The London Dramatic Academy in the UK. As a blind expert in the Audio Description (AD) industry, Colleen provides valuable insight and feedback to those training in Audio Description. Their ongoing work and outreach in the AD field include performing Quality Control for several studios, voice narration, teaching the various roles within the scope of description, and cultivating a network of diverse professionals. Guided by their Seeing Eye Dog Joplin, Colleen advocates for informed, equal, and culturally competent AD wherever they go!
If you missed it or just want to watch them again, our entire series of conversations are archived on the Art Spark Texas YouTube Channel on the Audio Description Playlist.
Questions? Contact the Art Spark office at 512-454-9912 or info@artsparktx.org

Image Description: Side-by-side photos of this conversation’s guests, Thomas Reid and Colleen Connor. On the left, Thomas, a brown-skinned Black man with a smooth-shaven bald head and a full, neat, salt-and-pepper beard, smiles into the camera. He wears dark shades and a gray and black sweater with a black turtleneck. On the right, Colleen, a non-binary, white person with pixie-cut, pink hair, smiles while speaking into a microphone with a pop filter.

Elements
2025-02-22 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Elements is once a month dance class on the fourth Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm. It is open to everyone, with or without disabilities, to explore and develop their own movement style. Led by professional dance educators, the class offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can discover the joy of dance.

In this class, we will be studying dance improvisation— a structured form of movement that is less technically rigid. Improvisation allows dancers to explore and create in the moment. Movement material will be developed through creative explorations, including body mapping using levels, shapes, and dynamic frameworks and our everyday life topics.

The goal is to empower you to find your own language of movement, embracing your individuality and creativity. Whether you’re new to dance or have years of experience, everyone is welcome, and no prior knowledge or experience is needed. Join us to move, connect, and enjoy dance in a space where all are valued.
The class fee is sliding $5-20 but no one is turned away because of lack of funds. No registration needed.

Elements - CANCELLED THIS MONTH
2025-04-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
This month’s Elements Dance Class at Rosedale School is cancelled!
We will resume our regularly scheduled programming in May.

Elements is once a month dance class on the fourth Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm. It is open to everyone, with or without disabilities, to explore and develop their own movement style. Led by professional dance educators, the class offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can discover the joy of dance.

In this class, we will be studying dance improvisation— a structured form of movement that is less technically rigid. Improvisation allows dancers to explore and create in the moment. Movement material will be developed through creative explorations, including body mapping using levels, shapes, and dynamic frameworks and our everyday life topics.

The goal is to empower you to find your own language of movement, embracing your individuality and creativity. Whether you’re new to dance or have years of experience, everyone is welcome, and no prior knowledge or experience is needed. Join us to move, connect, and enjoy dance in a space where all are valued.
The class fee is sliding $5-20 but no one is turned away because of lack of funds. No registration needed.

Tree Tales
2025-05-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Join Us for Tree Tales!
Rosedale School students present Tree Tales, a dance theater performance celebrating our native trees. Experience their storytelling through movement at the Playground of Possibilities event at Rosedale School on May 3rd at noon. This event is free and open to all from 12-2pm with a performance start time of 12:20pm.
Tree Tales performance by Rosedale students directed by Art Spark Texas artist teachers Veronica DeWitt and Toni Bravo.

This performance is supported by Texas Commission for the Arts and our classes are sponsored by the Rosedale Foundation.

Elements
2025-05-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Elements is an all-abilities dance class that takes place on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm.

Elements dance class is open to everyone, with or without disabilities, to explore and develop their own movement style. Led by professional dance educators, the class offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can discover the joy of dance.

In this class, we will be studying dance improvisation— a structured form of movement that is less technically rigid. Improvisation allows dancers to explore and create in the moment. Movement material will be developed through creative explorations, including body mapping using levels, shapes, and dynamic frameworks and our everyday life topics.

The goal is to empower you to find your own language of movement, embracing your individuality and creativity. Whether you’re new to dance or have years of experience, everyone is welcome, and no prior knowledge or experience is needed. Join us to move, connect, and enjoy dance in a space where all are valued.

The class fee is sliding $5-20 but no one is turned away because of lack of funds. No registration needed.

Elements Inclusive Dance Class
2025-09-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Art Spark Dance’s Elements class is a once a month dance class that is open to everyone, with or without disabilities, to explore and develop their own movement style. Led by professional dance educators, the class offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can discover the joy of dance.

In this class, we will be studying dance improvisation, a structured form of movement that is less technically rigid. Improvisation allows dancers to explore and create in the moment. Movement material will be developed through creative explorations, including body mapping using levels, shapes, and dynamic frameworks and our everyday life topics.

The goal is to empower you to find your own language of movement, embracing your individuality and creativity. No prior knowledge or experience is needed, everyone is welcome.

Join us to move, connect, and enjoy dance in a space where everyone is welcomed and valued.

The class takes place every 3rd Saturday of the month from 2 to 4 PM at the Rosedale School, located at 7505 Silvercrest Dr, Austin, TX 78757. There is no registration required, and the fee is on a sliding scale from $5 to $20; however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For questions email dance@artsparktx.org or call 512-454-9912.

Elements Inclusive Dance Class
2025-10-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Art Spark Dance’s Elements class is a once a month dance class that is open to everyone, with or without disabilities, to explore and develop their own movement style. Led by professional dance educators, the class offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can discover the joy of dance. This month’s elements class is the 25th of October from 2-4pm at Rosedale School. This class is focused for students over the age of 18 years old.
7505 Silvercrest Dr, Austin, TX 78757. There is no registration required, and the fee is on a sliding scale from $5 to $20; however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For questions email dance@artsparktx.org or call 512-454-9912.

In this class, we will be studying dance improvisation, a structured form of movement that is less technically rigid. Improvisation allows dancers to explore and create in the moment. Movement material will be developed through creative explorations, including body mapping using levels, shapes, and dynamic frameworks and our everyday life topics.

Elements has a special guest teacher from Tblisi Georgia. Mariam (Maka) Chkhaidze is a curator and cultural manager based in Tbilisi, Georgia. With a background in theatre and social psychology, she combines these two disciplines into a deep commitment to use the performing arts as a tool for fostering connections between marginalized and underrepresented social groups. In 2022, Maka founded InForm – Platform for Inclusive Minds, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing disability narratives into the performing arts scene in Georgia. Under her leadership, InForm has established an inclusive contemporary dance theatre group that includes dancers and actors of mixed abilities. The troupe produces original and collaborative performances both locally and internationally, and conducts educational programs to nurture an inclusive arts community.
Maka is a CEC ArtsLink Fellow and is spending the whole month of October with us here at Art Spark Texas. This class is supported by CEC ArtsLink. CEC ArtsLink supports transnational cultural mobility and collaboration, empowering artists and arts leaders to engage communities in dialogue and creative projects for a more equitable, compassionate and sustainable world.

Elements Inclusive Dance Class
2025-11-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Art Spark Dance’s Elements class is a once a month dance class that is open to everyone, with or without disabilities, to explore and develop their own movement style. Led by professional dance educators, the class offers a welcoming and supportive environment where you can discover the joy of dance.

In this class, we will be studying dance improvisation, a structured form of movement that is less technically rigid. Improvisation allows dancers to explore and create in the moment. Movement material will be developed through creative explorations, including body mapping using levels, shapes, and dynamic frameworks and our everyday life topics.

The goal is to empower you to find your own language of movement, embracing your individuality and creativity. No prior knowledge or experience is needed, everyone is welcome. Join us to move, connect, and enjoy dance in a space where everyone is welcomed and valued.

The class takes place every 3rd Saturday of the month from 2 to 4 PM at the Rosedale School, located at 7505 Silvercrest Dr, Austin, TX 78757. There is no registration required, and the fee is on a sliding scale from $5 to $20; however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Open to the public.

For questions email dance@artsparktx.org or call 512-454-9912.

About Teaching Artist Michele Owens:
For over 25 years, Michele has directed the WINGS program at Crockett High School, creating dance opportunities with and for teenagers with learning disabilities. Her work has traveled into schools, communities, correctional facilities, and recreation centers, always centering dignity, creativity, and the belief that movement belongs to every body.
From performing the interactive “ABCMeMove” for over 1,000 kids, to teaching annually at a women’s correctional facility through Beyond Bars, to leading WINGS II for older adults and a preschool dance program, Michele’s practice is rooted in connection, courage, and joy.
Michele believes:

“To move is to be human… I believe in the power of dance to celebrate life, and to unite, inspire, and express the uniqueness of each member of the human family.”

At this month’s Elements, Michele will guide us through an improvisation-centered class where:

The individual is at the heart of the experience

Movement grows from your innermost being rather than imitation

How it feels matters more than how it looks

All ages, bodies, and experiences are welcomed with care

Come move, breathe, and be together with a community.

DanceAbility Professional Learning Opportunity
2026-02-28 16:00 - 18:00 | Rosedale School, 7505 Silvercrest Drive, Austin, TX, 78757, United States
Inclusive Dance Teaching with DanceAbility

Organized by Art Spark Texas (Art Spark Dance)
Special thanks to Rosedale Foundation for making this professional learning opportunity possible
Saturday, February 28, 2026
4:00–6:00 PM
**Rosedale School (Austin, TX)

What is DanceAbility?
As dance educators, we believe integrated dance can reduce isolation and support self-expression and personal growth for people of all abilities. DanceAbility is an improvisation-based method that supports artistic exploration between people with and without disabilities. Through dance and movement, people from diverse backgrounds practice the art of being together—building connection and strengthening more inclusive communities.
DanceAbility cultivates common ground for creative expression with equal agency and representation. Movement material is drawn from the group present in the room, so no one is isolated or singled out. The method supports self-empowerment by offering ways for each person to participate fully and make creative choices—while also respecting personal limits.

Core principles you’ll learn
Sensation • Relationship • Time • Design
(often described as self, others, and community in motion)
What you’ll leave with

Practical, adaptable DanceAbility exercises you can use right away

Tools for inclusive improvisation, partnering, and facilitation

Strategies that support participation for people of all abilities

Who should attend
Dance educators • teaching artists • classroom teachers • therapists • movement facilitators • anyone curious about inclusive dance practice

Register here: https://forms.gle/oB9q7eG6g446B8gh7
Questions / Access requests: dance@artsparktx.org

Professional Learning with Krissie Marty
2026-04-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Creative Action, 1023 Springdale Rd. Bldg 3, Austin, Texas, 78702
DANCE EDUCATORS — COME LEARN IN COMMUNITY
A Collaborative Workshop with Krissie Marty
Master Trainer, Wolf Trap Institute
Bring your lesson plan ideas, your questions, and your teaching challenges.
In this free professional learning workshop, Krissie Marty will share tools and insights from her deep experience in creative movement and teacher training, while inviting participants into a collaborative process of reflection and exchange. Together, we will experience an exercise, unpack it, and reflect on what it reveals about teaching practice.
This workshop is designed as a space for learning, experimentation, and shared problem-solving, with additional support from Art Spark Texas on meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities.
April 18, 2026
Creative Action, Austin
1023 Springdale Rd, Bldg 3
Austin, TX 78721
Please register here. Free to attend
