‘A space for confidence, creativity, and connection.’ Our Conversation with Free 2 Be Me Dance.

Posted May 15, 2025, by Mindi Wisman

Today we’re shining the spotlight on a highly innovative organization we’ve been assisting that serves young people with disabilities: Free 2 Be Me Dance. They were founded in 2009 with the mission of bringing the joy of dance to people with special needs. They now serve individuals of all abilities in Los Angeles and no student is turned away due to their inability to pay. Julia Anderson Durst, Assistant Director for Free 2 Be Me Dance participated in a Q&A with Youth Catalytics’ Mindi Wisman.

Mindi: What inspired the founding of Free 2 Be Me Dance?

Julia: Our founder Colleen Perry, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, came across an article in People magazine in 2009 about an innovative program at the Boston Ballet that was teaching dance to children with Down syndrome. She was inspired by this and went to Boston to meet with the director of the program in person. That experience lit a spark—combining her love of dance with her passion for accessible mental health and inclusion, and Colleen returned to Los Angeles and founded Free 2 Be Me Dance. Now in its 16th year, the program continues to grow and thrive.

M: You have said that your organization stands at the intersection of art and health—can you say more about that?

J: Absolutely. Dance is not just movement—it’s a powerful tool for self-expression, building confidence, emotional healing, and physical well-being. Our dancers experience increased body awareness, strength, coordination, and motor planning, but they also gain community, self-esteem, and emotional resilience. We’ve seen first-hand how the arts can support mental health, create connection, and uplift individuals in ways that traditional therapies might not. For many of our dancers, Free 2 Be Me Dance becomes a second home.

M: You are connected with the University of Southern California’s (USC) Dance and Ability program. How did that start and what does it entail? What other community connections have you developed?

J: Our connection with USC began through Colleen, who helped pioneer the Dance and Ability course within the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. That partnership has grown into an incredible exchange—USC students volunteer with our classes and learn firsthand about inclusive dance practices, and our dancers benefit from enthusiastic young adults who bring fresh energy and commitment to inclusion.

Beyond USC, we’ve developed meaningful partnerships with local organizations such as The Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, Special Olympics, Children’s Hospital LA, The Music Center, Diavolo Dance, and Nigel Lythgoe. These collaborations help us amplify our mission of inclusion through shared events, performances, and community outreach.

We are also fortunate to receive support from family foundations and donors who share our belief in building a more inclusive arts world. Their generosity helps sustain our programming and ensures we never have to turn a dancer away due to financial need.

M: What have been some of your challenges in running this organization?

J: Like many small nonprofits, one of our ongoing challenges is sustainability—balancing our desire to grow with the need to secure consistent funding and resources. Because we accept dancers regardless of their ability to pay, a large portion of our students receive scholarships, which requires us to be in a near-constant state of fundraising to cover program costs, studio rentals, and staff compensation.

Another challenge is visibility. Inclusive dance is still not widely understood or represented in mainstream conversations about the arts or disability advocacy. We’re continually working to educate the public, funders, and even fellow arts organizations that inclusive dance is not charity—it’s artistry, talent, and passion expressed in diverse bodies.

M: How do you measure success, and what have been some of your success stories?

J: We measure success through the confidence, growth, and joy we witness in our dancers. It’s in the little moments—a dancer advocating for themselves or taking the lead in a group activity. It’s also in the community we’ve built: parents telling us their child has found belonging, volunteers changing career paths after being inspired by our students, and dancers forming genuine friendships both in and outside the studio.

One of our greatest successes is watching dancers progress from being nervous on their first day to performing on stage with pride and enthusiasm. We’ve had students who once struggled with social interaction now take center stage with confidence. These are the stories that remind us the work matters.

M: What are some of your hopes and dreams for the future of Free 2 Be Me Dance?

J: We dream of a future where we can focus entirely on our mission—without the constant stress of finding funding to keep the program going. We’d love to have our own fully accessible dance studio, a space that truly belongs to our dancers, where classes happen every day in a variety of styles and formats. From ballet and hip hop to ballroom, tap, cultural dances, and strength and mobility training, we want to offer something for everyone, tailored to each dancer’s goals and abilities.

Our hope isn’t just to grow bigger—it’s to grow deeper. We care about quality over quantity. That means building stronger support for our dancers, offering more individualized instruction, expanding leadership roles for students, and creating space for connection, creativity, and confidence to flourish.

In the long term, we want Free 2 Be Me Dance to be a model of what true inclusion in the arts can look like—a place where everyone is welcome, seen, and celebrated.

To contact Free 2 Be Me Dance, email: info@free2bemedance.org