First, Fierce, & For Everyone– Dancing Wheels Co.

Founded in 1980 by Mary Verdi-Fletcher, The Dancing Wheels Company has pioneered inclusive dance for dancers with and without disabilities. The company has remained on the forefront of physically integrated dance for 40 years by leading the movement with its international touring presence and innovative work.

President and Founding Artistic Director, Mary Verdi-Fletcher, was born with spina bifida. From a young age, she envisioned how a wheelchair user could not only dance, but perform professionally alongside her non- disabled peers. In 1980, Mary and her non-disabled partner entered a national disco dance competition taking the audience and the judge by complete surprise. Their performance was received with a standing ovation and accolades from all who witnessed—for the first time in anyone’s experience, a new form of dance using feet and wheels to blaze across the stage.

Soon thereafter, Mary and her partner were performing throughout the country, appearing in 72 shows in their first year. In 1990, Dancing Wheels entered into an agreement with Cleveland Ballet to become Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels, a groundbreaking collaboration that lasted 10 years.

Throughout its four decades, Dancing Wheels has grown in its influence and prominence in the world of dance. The company’s professional members have presented residencies, master classes, and performances throughout the world, while also hosting others at its World Center for Integrated Dance & Arts Access in Cleveland’s Mid-Town. Here, dance enthusiasts, teachers, choreographers, and dancers come to learn and grow in the art form of physically integrated dance.