Dance changes lives.
We make dance happen.
We are a non profit organisation. Our historic structure was created in Zurich, Switzerland in 2018. We are now since may 2021 registered in France (association de droit local) and in the process of being registered in New Zealand.
We organise dance programs and events for children and young adults who are in a vulnerable place because of illness, poverty, exile or/and with no easy access to this art.
We believe that, because of the physical and mental assets it brings to children, dance programs are not a cost. They are an investment in the future of individuals, communities and society as a whole.
What Dance Can Do is a non profit organisation. People in our team are volunteers. We operate internationally and organise dance programs and events for children and teenagers made vulnerable by poverty, illness or exile.
We believe dance changes lives and that all children should have access to music and dance.
We have two main objectives:
- Bring dance to children and young adults who are in a vulnerable place, may it be because of illness, poverty, exile – or with no easy access to the arts.
- Advocate dance as a spark for change sharing our experience and the stories of dancers, whose lives were impacted by their art and what they hope it can bring to their audience, society and today’s world’s challenges.
How can we value what dance can do?
Dancing is everywhere. It takes many different shapes and colours. It is a call to the Gods and a bond between people. It is both new and ancient. Dance has such beneficial effects on the brain that it is used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease. A study conducted by the University of California shows that both observing and practicing dance trigger the same learning-related changes in the brain – this means both dance and watch dance have a positive impact on the brain!
What Dance Can Do was born from the desire to celebrate and leverage how powerful dancing can be.
We use dance as a leverage for social inclusion and youth development. Our first source of inspiration was iKapa, a Cape Town based organisation.
To access beneficiaries, we partner with hospitals, schools and local NPOs. We feel grateful and honoured to be supported by some of the world’s most famous dancers and choreographers.
WDCD intends to show how dance is being used as an agent of change to heal, to lift up, to bridge gaps, and to give means of expression and a voice to those who might not otherwise have one.
THE WHAT DANCE CAN DO PROJECT 