About AllPlay Dance
Find out more about the AllPlay Dance team, what we do, and our partners here
What is AllPlay Dance?
AllPlay Dance is one of the AllPlay programs. AllPlay is an initiative dedicated to inclusion for children with support needs or disability across sport, dance, and education, with the aim of "making the world fit for all children".
AllPlay Dance is a cross-disciplinary research-based program, undertaken through collaboration between dance and psychology researchers at Deakin and Monash Universities. It has three broad aims:
- To measure the benefits of community-based dance programs for children with disability,
- To develop methods (eg, training resources, programs) to support children with disability to participate in dance activities, and
- To measure the feasibility and acceptability of methods.
"Central to the approach to the AllPlay Dance program is the idea that true inclusion in community-based programs has the potential to offer benefits to physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning as an alternative to or in adjunct with therapy in a clinical setting. Notably, the work of AllPlay Dance differs from dance therapy in that it aims to promote the inclusion of children with disability in community-based, recreational dance programs and provide equal access to their potential benefits, rather than develop disability-specific interventions aimed at addressing or fixing "problems."
– Olivia Millard, co-founder of AllPlay Dance
What we do
AllPlay Dance is research-based, meaning that all our programs are created by and tested through research. This also means that our programs are delivered to the community on a not-for-profit basis, and are always evolving based on our learning.
Our work takes place in two main areas, including:
AllPlay Dance studios, in which we develop and refine our teaching methods and research the developmental benefits of dance for children with disability.
AllPlay Dance in the community: We also create resources for families, teachers, and dance buddies and connect with the community through our professional development courses and online presence.
Our projects
Our Team
Professor Nicole Rinehart
Dr Olivia Millard
Dr Ebony Lindor
Natalie Surry
Dr Nan Zhang
Abigail Benham-Bannon
Dr Chloe Emonson
Dr David Moseley
Dr Katherine Howells
Hannah Aitken
Aimee Camilleri
Our AllPlay Dance Consultants
Our consultants bring deep expertise across research, practice, and inclusive dance education.
Dr Samantha Wright
Dr Melinda Smith OAM
Partners and acknowledgments
We would like to thank the families who have volunteered their time to participate in AllPlay Dance projects. Their contributions have been invaluable. We also acknowledge our dance collaborators in the Australian community: Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Ausdance QLD, Ausdance WA, RAD Australia, and Bunjil Place. AllPlay Dance has ongoing funding and partnerships with: