Abilities Dance Boston, a nonprofit that uses dance to promote intersectional disability rights, presents the world premiere of “The Banned Ballet” streaming live and in-person from the Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road, Boston, Mass. 02125 on Friday, November 3 & Saturday November 4, 2023 at 8pm ET. Created by an all-BIPOC artistic director team (Ellice Patterson and Andrew Choe), this family-friendly performance is inspired by the rising number of book bans that’s occurring across the U.S. and the impact that has on the intersections of queerness and disability.

With artistic direction and choreography by founder Ellice Patterson and original score by Andrew Choe, “The Banned Ballet” is a multidisciplinary work that includes animation and a literal book written by Patterson about the storyline. Led by narration and a frustrated librarian played by Leslie Taub, the audience is transported into this new world where there is appreciation for diverse voices that are creating their own stories. Tickets are available now. General admission for all shows is $35. Unlimited free tickets are available for financial equity.

“This is our impassioned response to book bans that are eliminating diverse identities from schools, public libraries, and more,” said Ellice Patterson, Abilities Dance Boston Founder/Executive & Artistic Director and choreographer of “The Banned Ballet.” “Everyone deserves the right to have their stories told truthfully. Our hope is that we can share how the intersecting forms of oppression, in this case LGBTQIA and deaf/disabled communities, hurt all of us. However, we can all band together to fight these injustices for us and the next generation.”