Ellice Patterson MiM (Questrom’17) Continues To Disrupt Ableism Through ‘Abilities Dance Boston’
October 12, 2023
Ellice Patterson MiM (Questrom’17) is working to break down ableism in the arts through her dance company, Abilities Dance Boston, welcoming artists of all abilities. Apart from leading as Founder and Executive and Artistic Director of Abilities Dance Boston, Ellice has given lectures across the country, and her choreography has appeared in the MFA, Gibney Dance in NYC, and more. Ellice, along with Abilities Dance Boston dancer Carmen Rizzo, will deliver a “Creative Fusion,” a talk and performance, at this year’s IDEA Con, this weekend at the Questrom School of Business.
Ellice has danced since she was 4 years old and struggled to find an accessible and adaptable dance studio that would allow her to fully engage. She was inspired to make dance accessible to people of all abilities, and backgrounds, so in 2017, Ellice founded Abilities Dance Boston. It was around the same time that Ellice joined the Questrom community in the Master in Management program at Questrom in 2017. Earning an MS in Management allowed her to apply an analytical skill set to her leadership at Abilities Dance Boston. Ellice’s work as an Executive Director at another non-profit organization was another experience that helped her gain an in-depth understanding of leading a company through the peaks and valleys of a business environment.
Today, Ellice Patterson has been working full-time as the Executive and Artistic Director of Abilities Dance Boston for a little over a year, leading a team of 18 staff and at least 15 contractors. In September, she joined the Questrom Community for a Fireside Chat to share her journey, and how she is working to dismantle preconceived notions about what individuals with disabilities can achieve in the arts. Moderator of the Fireside Chat Spencer Hart-Thompson (CFA’24) says “Music and dance are powerful mediums through which we express our deepest emotions and connect with others. But the true essence of these arts is only present when leaders lead with inclusivity, wagering their platform for universal participation, irrespective of one’s disability. I had the honor of engaging in a profoundly enlightening conversation with the founder of Abilities Dance Boston, Ellice Patterson, who has done exactly that. Abilities Dance is a unique dance studio championing inclusivity. This conversation was a deep dive into the essence of art, inclusivity, and breaking barriers.
Art, by nature, should be boundless. But society has often, inadvertently, or not, put constraints on it. Ellice’s perspective aims to challenge and dismantle these age-old preconceived notions. This fireside chat, and Ellice’s work at Abilities Dance, have left me with a lot of hope for the future of inclusive arts programs.”
This Saturday, October 14th, the Boston University Questrom School of Business will host this year’s IDEA Con, with at least 21 universities and about 600 hundred guests in attendance. Students from every college at BU will attend. Ellice Patterson MiM (Questrom’17) will bring an IDEA Con signature “Creative Fusion” to the main stage, where she will narrate her full journey in bringing “Abilities Dance Boston” to life, including not only the successes but the obstacles and pivots as well. She will present Abilities Dance Boston Dancer Carmen Rizzo, to perform a dance, which not only proves the mutually inclusive relationship between creativity and innovation but also demonstrates the company’s value to the community and to society.
In sharing her full professional journey with a wider audience at IDEA Con, Ellice hopes to shift the way students define success, and how robust careers can have a significant range. She hopes to emphasize that a company’s budget reflects priority; if the budget is not allocated for accessibility, it’s clear where it stands on the list of priorities. Ellice will also touch on the need for rest, especially for those of diverse backgrounds, whose work comes under increased scrutiny.
IDEA Con is the largest student innovation and entrepreneurship conference in New England hosted at Boston University annually. It is a free conference focused on innovation and inspiration welcoming all students and recent grads from around the northeast region. IDEA Con embraces innovation in every field, especially in entrepreneurship and social impact, which is why Ellice’s journey is so relevant for the audience on Saturday.
For more information, please visit the IDEA Con Website. If you would like to connect, please visit Ellice Patterson’s LinkedIn.
