AusTIN SOCIAL DANCE ALLIANCE
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The Austin Social Dance Alliance, established by Fisterra Projects and led by co-directors Lloyd Weatherspoon and Osei Bonsu, is a dynamic initiative focused on fostering cultural preservation and social inclusion through dance. Drawing on Osei’s international experience with the United Nations in West Africa, the Alliance brings together dance styles from around the world, including Angolan Kizomba, Cuban Salsa, Brazilian Zouk, Dominican Bachata, Columbian Cumbia, and more. The organization aims to empower immigrant and minority communities in Austin by providing a platform where these groups can connect through the universal language of dance.
Through collaborations with over 100 artists from more than 14 countries, the Austin Social Dance Alliance has become a hub for cultural exchange, engaging participants from across the U.S. and around the world. With its extensive programming, the Alliance hosts over 50 educational workshops annually and supports over 300 marginalized individuals with discounted or free access to dance classes. The initiative’s commitment to community and inclusivity has made it one of the most diverse dance programs in Austin, serving as a safe, welcoming space for immigrant groups, LGBTQIA+ communities, and mixed-ability dancers.
The Austin Social Dance Alliance is deeply motivated by the need to address issues of displacement, gentrification, and cultural erasure, with a focus on offering accessible programming to those most affected by systemic inequality. With support from the Equity Mini Grant Fund, the Alliance aims to expand its reach and further its mission of fostering unity and resilience through dance.
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Fisterra Cultural Heritage Projects
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Austin Angolan Kizomba Project
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Austin Social Dance Alliance Bilingual
and Mixed-Ability Accessibility Resource Workshop
The Austin Social Dance Alliance, in collaboration with Fisterra Projects, hosted an inclusive, accessibility-focused workshop titled "Austin Artist Connect: Inclusive Networking & Collaboration" at Once Over Coffee. This bilingual (English and Spanish) event featured accessibility accommodations such as interpretation services, live captioning, audio descriptions, large-print programs, sensory-friendly spaces, and wheelchair-accessible facilities.
Attendees included leading local artists, cultural organizers, and project representatives, such as Lloyd Weatherspoon, Angela Gokar, Nhat Ho, Gigi Ho, Keely Duong, Peter Clauter, Kareem Maged Elghayes, Melissa Hernandez, and Steven Shelling.
This event exemplified the Austin Social Dance Alliance's ongoing commitment to ensuring inclusive, equitable, and accessible artistic experiences, fostering stronger connections within Austin's diverse creative community.
Enhancing Dance Accessibility through Inclusive Collaborations
The Austin Social Dance Alliance has a longstanding commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. Founder Lloyd Weatherspoon, previously a performer with the alliance and now its director, is also a social worker with Integral Care, providing art therapy at nursing facilities to patients nearing hospice care. His professional experiences span disability awareness across multiple ages and generations. Alongside key members such as sponsor Amy Morrow, the Alliance has advanced inclusive practices by offering mixed-ability dance classes through Body Shift and Art Spark at the Townlake YMCA. These four impactful sessions, held in 2018 and 2019, brought together diverse participants to foster creative expression and community engagement.
Amy Morrow also led dance programs specifically designed for individuals with Parkinson's disease and performed at nursing homes in 2018 and 2019, prior to COVID-19 restrictions. Their constant collaborators and co-choreographers, Billie and Twain Morrow, advised the dancers until their passing at ages 91 and 95 in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, Lloyd Weatherspoon hosted Zion Dance, a ballet company from Dallas, at Community First Village in October 2019. Zion Dance performed and facilitated "Draw Together," a collaborative event engaging unhoused artists and community members as part of Theorist Fest.
A pivotal collaboration was with certified DanceAbility instructor and disability advocate Amy Litzinger, who has cerebral palsy and is actively involved in the Austin dance community. During an LGBTQ+ advocacy workshop with Amsterdam-based artist Keren Rosenberg in February 2019, Litzinger articulated the powerful insight that society often mistakenly assumes that being paralyzed or using a wheelchair limits one's gender expression and physical sensations, underscoring that many expressive avenues exist. Litzinger uniquely choreographed movements for Amy Morrow by directing her with eye movements, using her gaze to indicate spatial dynamics, tempo, and emotional tone of the performance. Litzinger also performed alongside Morrow at the DanceAbility Conference in San Antonio (November 2018) and in Austin (2019), sharing the stage with internationally recognized disabled dancers.
Looking forward, the Austin Social Dance Alliance remains dedicated to expanding accessibility initiatives and fostering inclusive community spaces where all participants can express themselves fully through the transformative power of dance. Screenshots, testimonials, and additional archival footage of these impactful classes and performances are readily available to demonstrate the depth and reach of these inclusive programs.
