Lincoln Center Presents ADA in the Arts

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is marking the anniversary of one of the most significant Civil Rights legislations of our time ­– the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which established the right for people with disabilities to fully participate in civic life. Lincoln Center is offering a series of public and private events focused on addressing disability justice through artistry, career development, and audience engagement.

The ADA was signed into law July 26, 1990. Lincoln Center celebrates throughout July, Disability Pride Month, building upon existing accessibility programs and engaging artists and industry leaders for new initiatives. New and repurposed content is made available in collaboration with American Ballet Theatre, Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Queens Theatre, Netflix, Heidi Latsky Dance, Jerron Herman, and Kinetic Light.

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The ADA in the Arts series connects disabled audiences of all ages with the arts and advocacy, highlights the work of disabled artists to a public audience, and helps push Lincoln Center toward a more inclusive and just future.

Here are some highlights of this year’s series!

ADA in the Arts Video Series

Lincoln Center is commissioning deaf and disabled artists across disciplines for a series of new video works released across its social platforms and website.

Kinetic Light: Beyond the Stage

Peek into the world of disabled dancer and choreographer Alice Sheppard and get unique insight into the development of the dance work Where Good Souls Fear. Featuring gritty VR footage from New York City streets and subways and performance excerpts, this 11-minute documentary short by filmmaker Dahkil Hausif follows Alice as she cuts a pathway from street to stage and back, exploring her approach to choreography and disability arts along the way.

The documentary is followed by the new, commissioned Kinetic Light video creation, exploring togetherness and featuring dancers Alice Sheppard, Laurel Lawson, and Jerron Herman, with lighting by Michael Maag.

Learn more about Kinetic Light

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Heidi Latsky Dance: SOLO FLIGHT ADA30

Centering the work of disabled artists, the Lincoln Center commissioned video SOLO FLIGHT ADA30 is a pastiche—a compilation of discovered moments viewed through the lens of 15 people intertwined and connected in their isolation.

Learn more about Solo Flight ADA30

Death Bites, Presented in collaboration with Queens Theatre

This virtual reading of Death Bites, commissioned by Lincoln Center, is written and performed by a team of disabled artists. The play was originally staged in 2018 as part of Theatre For All Short Plays; Queens Theatre’s New American Voices Play Development Reading Series, featuring actors from QT’s Theatre For All Training Program. The work explores disabled identity through a fantastical premise.

More info coming soon on main event website

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Virtual Access Programs

Bringing together artists with disabilities for customized virtual programs, workshops, performances, and tours, Lincoln Center joins with partners across its campus and beyond. Always free, registration required.

Passport to the Arts: Virtual Adapted Dance Workshop with American Ballet Theatre

Lincoln Center’s Passport to the Arts program offers children, teens and adults with disabilities and their families access to the performing arts at no cost. The program proudly partners with American Ballet Theatre for a virtual dance workshop complementing their week-long series honoring Disability Pride Month with personal stories, lessons, and activities on the ABTKids Daily website. ABT dance and design artists lead an interactive dance workshop which explores the characters and choreography from ABT’s signature classic ballet Swan Lake.

Learn more about this dance workshop

Lincoln Center Moments

A virtual version of the celebrated program for individuals with dementia and their caregivers, Lincoln Center Moments explores emotions through music, featuring three pre-recorded performances from Lincoln Center’s rich archives, followed by a live, virtual workshop during which participants will engage in discussion, movement, and art-making activities. This program takes place online via the Zoom platform.

Learn more about Lincoln Center Moments

Virtual Verbal Description Program: A Celebration of Tap Dance

Join this virtual tour for a behind-the-scenes exploration of tap dance materials from the archives of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, designed for individuals who are blind or have low vision. The tour is facilitated by Kathleen Leary, Dance Education Coordinator at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and Lincoln Center staff.

Learn more about A Celebration of Tapdance

View the full schedule here.