Sep 29, 2021

Dance Church announces partnership with Dance For All Bodies

All bodies can dance at Dance Church

Dance Church®, the wildly-popular dance-focused movement class, announces a partnership today with Dance For All Bodies. Dance For All Bodies is a non-profit that provides accessible and inclusive dance classes that dismantle ableist narratives. This new collaboration signals Dance Church’s continued commitment to their every body, all heart mission. Dance Church teachers will complete a training course with DfAB to enhance their accessible dance teaching practices and learn techniques to enable them to teach individuals with all levels of ability. 

“Every body should have the opportunity to experience the joy and power of dancing,” says Lavinia Vago, Dance Church's Director of Programming. “This partnership with DfAB takes Dance Church one step closer to true accessibility and inclusivity for our classes, so we can continue to spread the love of dance to all bodies and all abilities.”

Sonya Rio-Glick, DfaB Co-Executive Director shares, “Dance for All Bodies (DfAB) is ready and excited to collaborate with Dance Church in spreading the joy of dance to all bodies! In partnering, we are aiding each other in reaching more dancers with accessible dance practices. Sharing resources and creating more accessible dance opportunities is a vital step in making dance accessible to all! We are creating these opportunities through collaborative social media engagements, comprehensive teacher training, and mutual program-shadowing! We hope this partnership will serve as a model for others in dance to expand their accessibility practices while staying joyous in shared dance.”

Dance Church has begun to return to in-person classes, and will expand its schedule in the coming weeks. Become a subscriber for early access to classes HERE and purchase tickets HERE.

Led by director and choreographer Kate Wallich and CEO Clara Siegel, Dance Church began in 2010 as a way to offer a joyful and inclusive approach to fitness — through dance. With carefully curated playlists and professional dancers driving the experience, the community-driven format of entertainment exercise was created and took off. In response to COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown that left many in search of new ways to exercise, let out pent up energy, and experience the freedom often reserved for the dance floor, Dance Church launched Dance Church Go, a live streamed alternative to their in-person classes. Soon after, they partnered with Seattle-based startup studio Pioneer Square Labs to launch their subscription video on demand platform and brought on CEO Clara Siegel. With Dance Church Go, the Dance Church movement has reached a massive audience and has brought joy to living room dancers all over the world. 

As we neared the end of the lockdown, which found Dance Church pivoting to the online space, the company initially began its return to their in-person format through a tour in partnership with Nordstrom. This beta rollout of IRL classes is the next phase of the company’s reopening. 

About Dance Church:

Dance Church has been bringing people together through the joy and release of dance since 2010 — in real life and on the internet. Designed for people of all shapes and sizes, backgrounds and identities, Dance Church is on a mission to empower people through dance. Visit go.dancechurch.com to take classes on-demand, join the live-stream every Sunday, or to register for in person classes.

About Kate Wallich:

Kate Wallich (she / her) is the founder and chief creative officer of Dance Church. Kate is a Seattle-based choreographer who believes in the combined power of artists and the public. A dancer, choreographer, educator, and founder who was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch,” Kate has cultivated community through her inclusive dance-fitness class Dance Church®, her dance companies The YC and YC2, and the non-profit arts organization she founded in 2016, Studio Kate Wallich. Kate's work has been commissioned and presented nationally and internationally by the Walker Art Center, On the Boards, Seattle Theater Group, Mass MoCa, The Joyce Theater, Seattle Art Museum and many more. In 2019 she collaborated with Perfume Genius on the critically acclaimed dance and music performance The Sun Still Burns Here.

About Clara Siegel:

Clara (she / her) is the CEO of Dance Church, bringing people together through the joy of dance and movement. Prior to Dance Church, Clara led many of Facebook’s pivotal community and growth initiatives across streaming, gaming, and video calling and will help lead and scale the Dance Church business model. With a Mathematics degree from Reed College and an MBA from Stanford GSB, Siegel brings leadership, product, analytical horsepower, and operational experience to the team.

About Pioneer Square Labs:

Pioneer Square Labs is a Seattle-based startup studio and venture firm (PSL Ventures) that finances, creates, and launches technology startups. For more information, visit www.psl.com

Find Dance Church here

For more information on Dance Church, please contact:

Grandstand Media

Lisa Gottheil - lisag@grandstandhq.com Jaclyn Ulman - jaclynu@grandstandhq.com

Join a class in cities across the country, no experience needed!