A Fall to Remember: Chance 2 Dance NYC Celebrates Community, Inclusion, and a Whole Lot of Dancing!

If there is one thing we know how to do at Chance 2 Dance NYC, it is keep moving! Since kicking off our fourth season on September 14th, our calendar has filled up fast. Our dancers have been taking center stage and our community has given us plenty of reasons to celebrate. From performances and special events to meaningful partnerships and moments of advocacy, it has been a busy fall, to say the least!

While we have loved every opportunity to get out into the community this season, one event in particular deserves the spotlight.

Together We Build! Celebrating Disability Pride in Union Square

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, Chance 2 Dance NYC had the incredible honor of taking part in New York City’s Disability Pride Parade in Union Square! Thousands of individuals representing dozens of disabilities came together to celebrate disability history, culture, and community under this year’s theme, “Together We Build!”

It was a powerful reminder of what happens when people come together not only to celebrate who they are, but also to advocate for a more accessible, inclusive, and equitable world.

Chance 2 Dance NYC was thrilled to be invited by the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to take part in the parade’s mainstage performances, alongside our incredible partners at The Grace Foundation of Staten Island. This was a particularly special opportunity for our dancers to share their talents, their personalities, and the joy that comes with being part of a community where everyone belongs.

We brought the music, brought the movement, and got the entire audience up and dancing along with us! Because, really, is there any better way to celebrate inclusion than getting an entire crowd moving together?

For us, Disability Pride is about so much more than one day or one parade. It is about recognizing the voices, experiences, contributions, and individuality of people with disabilities. It is about creating spaces where everyone has the opportunity to participate, express themselves, and be celebrated for exactly who they are.

We are so grateful to the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, The Grace Foundation of Staten Island, and everyone who helped make this day possible. Most importantly, we are incredibly proud of our dancers, who continue to amaze us each time they take the stage!

Taking the Stage Across NYC

Our dancers didn’t stop in Union Square! October was full of opportunities to bring our message of acceptance and inclusion to Manhattan.

On October 3rd, Chance 2 Dance NYC brought the energy to AHRC’s Moving Together for Change event, followed by another special performance at the Autism Speaks New York City Empower Walk + 5K Run event on October 4th. Our dancers performed Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” a song that couldn’t be more fitting for what we stand for.

With a message celebrating individuality, self-expression, and embracing exactly who you are, it was the perfect soundtrack for our dancers to take the stage and show everyone what Chance 2 Dance is all about.

We love seeing our dancers represent Chance 2 Dance throughout the five boroughs, sharing their hard work and reminding audiences that inclusion isn’t just something we talk about. It is something we put into practice every single day at C2D.

Celebrating the People Who Help Make It Possible

We are so fortunate in New York City to have a community of people who believe in our mission. This fall, we were especially grateful to celebrate one of those partnerships.

On September 24th, Chance 2 Dance NYC was honored to attend the Lois and Richard Nicotra Foundation Award Ceremony on Staten Island. We are incredibly thankful to be among the local nonprofit organizations receiving support from the Nicotra Foundation.

Their continued commitment to making the arts more accessible throughout NYC and beyond means so much to our organization. Partnerships like these help us create more opportunities for our dancers and continue to foster the sense of belonging that the arts can bring.

To the Nicotra Foundation, thank you for believing in our mission and helping us continue to make dance accessible to all. We are grateful to have you in our corner!

New Studios, New Adaptive Dance Classes on Staten Island and Manhattan!

One of the biggest highlights of our fall season has been expanding our studio class offerings and bringing Chance 2 Dance to even more dancers throughout NYC!

This season, we officially launched new studio classes on Staten Island at the newly opened Sweat Social: House of Movement, located at 1372 Richmond Road. We are so excited to be part of this new movement space and to create even more opportunities for dancers to develop their skills, build confidence, make friends, and enjoy dancing in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Our Staten Island studio offers two weekly classes on Thursdays: Creative Movement from 4:00–4:50 PM for children ages 4–8, and Dynamic Movement from 5:00–5:50 PM for young adults. Whether our dancers are just beginning to explore movement or looking to continue developing their dance abilities, we provide a space where everyone can learn and grow at their own pace.

We are also thrilled to have brought Chance 2 Dance to Manhattan through our new classes at Ballet Academy East, one of New York City’s premier dance institutions for nearly 50 years! Our Dynamic Movement class for young adults meets from 2:00–2:50 PM, marking another exciting step in expanding access to inclusive dance education throughout the city.

Four Seasons, One Mission

As we settle into our fourth season in NYC, we are reminded just how much this community has grown. What began as an opportunity to bring adaptive dance to more individuals throughout the city has grown into a network of dancers, families, teaching artists, community partners, and supporters who continue to make our mission possible.

Every performance is an opportunity to challenge expectations. Every class is an opportunity to build confidence, develop skills, and make connections. Every community event gives us another chance to share the message that dance should and CAN be for ALL!

We know there is still plenty of work to do when it comes to accessibility and inclusion, but we also know that progress happens when we show up, make space, and make sure everyone has an opportunity to be part of the conversation (and the choreography)!

We are so proud of our dancers, grateful for our partners, and excited for everything still to come this season! We’re just getting started!