Dance & Acting – ArtsAbly

Selection of documentaries and movies featuring dancers and actors with disabilities.

This page gives a list of movies ordered alphabetically. Each title gives the name and year of release. This list is non-exhaustive. Let us know if you think of any missing reference that you feel should be added.

Dance

Capturing Grace (2014)

Poster of the movie representing the picture of an elderly white woman holding a dancing pose. At the bottom, three elderly people, a black man, a white man and a white woman, dancing.

It seems like two separate realms. One is occupied by acclaimed dancers from Brooklyn’s legendary Mark Morris Dance Group, the other by people with Parkinson’s disease. Capturing Grace is about what happens when those two worlds intersect. Filmed over the course of a year, this remarkable documentary reveals the hopes, fears, and triumphs of this newly forged community as they work together to create a unique performance.

Available format: online

Language: English

Closed captions: Yes

Audio description: No

Link to watch the movie (Tubi TV): https://tubitv.com/movies/519543/capturing-grace

More details about the movie: https://www.passionriver.com/capturing-grace.html

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Poster of the movie separated into two parts with half faces of a white man on the left and a white woman on the right, with profound, blue eyes, smiling at the camera.

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Available format: DVD

Language: English, French

Closed captions: Yes

Audio description: No

Link to buy the movie (Amazon): https://amzn.to/49QrHCT

More details about the movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/

Voices (1979)

Poster of the movie representing a drawing of a white man and a white woman holding each other. The man has his arm around the woman's shoulders.

A young man meets a deaf teacher and finds she is a great dancer. He encourages her to follow her dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Available format: DVD

Language: English

Closed captions: Yes

Audio description: No

Link to buy the movie (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3SKiuVu

More details about the movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080103/

Acting

Able (2019)

Picture of one of the episodes showing a white man and a white woman sitting close to each other and laughing.

TV series. ABLE aims to fill a gap of missing conversations within the entertainment world. In a series of quirky episodes, our hosts (Kallen Blair and Alie B. Gorrie) join various figures in theater, film, television, and entertainment with real experiences in and with the differently-abled and neurodiverse communities to discuss how storytellers can create more representative and truthful narratives.

Available format: none

Language: English

Closed captions: n/a

Audio description: n/a

More details about the series: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9297258/

Asperger’s Are Us (2016)

Poster of the movie showing the picture of four white men. The man on the left wears a red academic robe. The three others wear superhero masks and capes.

In this coming of age documentary, four friends on the Autism spectrum whom have bonded through humour and performed as the comedy troupe “Asperger’s Are Us” will prepare for one final, ambitious show before going their separate ways.

Available format: DVD

Language: English

Closed captions: Yes

Audio description: No

Link to buy the movie (Amazon): https://amzn.to/49sAjQ7

More details about the movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4109268/