Autism Awareness
Our non-profit organization, Autism Unites received 501c3 status in January 2007 under the name of Dance Into Unity, Inc. The main purpose of the charity was to raise autism awareness through visible dance productions and community events. We were able to reach thousands of people through the performing arts at various theatre venues in Los Angeles. From 2010 we started creating Match-A-Friend workshops to teach youth from all walks of life to connect through dance.
Raising Autism Awareness through Dance Productions
2006: Production El Corazon del Tango at LA’s landmark Wilshire Ebell Theatre to raise autism awareness
Dance Into Unity hosted its first Autism Awareness event with the dance production “El Corazon del Tango” (aka, “Through the Heart of Tango”) starring Broadway icon Miriam Larici together with a celebrated Broadway cast.
The live two-night event took place November 18th and 19th attracting over 2,000 people. The event also introduced the vision of “Adam’s Ranch” which was later portrayed in the video “Imagine the World” narrated by actor /producer Craig Shaffer.
2008: Production Tango Adamor at Saban Theatre & Alex Theatre to raise autism awareness
Dance Into Unity hosted its next visible Autism Awareness charity event Tango Adamor with a celebrated Broadway cast on November 21st & 22nd at the majestic Saban Theatre (aka Wilshire Theatre of Beverly Hills), and Glendale’s landmark Alex Theater, attracting an audience of over 4,000.
Match-A-Friend Workshops & Events
“Through the Heart of Tango” 201o-2012
The purpose of this project is to explore the process of what it takes and what it means to form a genuine connection with another through Match A Friend, a program that aims to teach diverse youth what it means to connect as friends with individuals who have autism.
Elena & Lana, the founders of Autism Unites (then called Dance Into Unity, Inc.), developed a series of workshops called “Through the Heart of Tango” where they matched up young adults with special needs to neurotypical young adults and taught them the ‘Art of Connection’ through dance.
Staged at Inclusion Films in Burbank, these workshops culminated in an exhilarating two-day event at a venue in Glendale, where the participants teamed up with professional dancers on stage. The workshops and finale event were filmed by Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films into the documentary “Through the Heart of Tango“.
“Through the Heart of Tango” was accepted into a number of national and international film festivals and featured a number of times on television..
“Beautiful” 2013-2014
Lana and Elena in collaboration with the founder of Empower Autism Now, Arman Kody produced a series of workshops called “Beautiful” in Claremont, CA. The aim of these workshops was to develop confidence and unlock creativity in young adults through the art and science of classical ballet.
These workshops evolved into a documented series filmed at the Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica. The cast consisted of young adults with autism matched up with neurotypical peers. The project showed exceptional results including openness of expression and boost of creativity, displayed in all participants.
The docu-series culminated at Santa Monica’s Miles Memorial Playhouse with a screening of the film, a bracelet ceremony honoring the cast members, and an autism-dedicated performance from Westside School of Ballet.
On February 27, 2014, Autism Unites hosted a fundraiser featuring Robby Krieger of the legendary rock group “THE DOORS“.
Participants of the project “Beautiful”, Arman Kody and Valeria Velyka, shared a touching speech about their Match-A-Friend experience
The success of BEAUTIFUL is a testament to the power of ballet used as an instrument for opening and consciously developing our creativity and connection with self and others.
Community Events
“BE SAFE” event with Culver City Police Department – August 20, 2014:
On August 20, 2014 Autism Unites together with the creator of “BE SAFE The Movie” and Culver City Police hosted an event featuring the unique video modeling tool that teaches individuals with autism to interact safely with the police. The event had an unexpectedly large turnout of individuals and families affected by autism, all eager to connect and experience the tool firsthand.
In his letter to Autism Unites (embedded below), the chief of Culver City Police Department wrote following: On behalf of myself and the Culver City Police Department, I would like to express our sincerest appreciation and admiration for the work being done by Autism Unites. Their commitment to improving the lives of people with autism is unmatched. The Culver City Police Department has forged a valued partnership with Autism Unites. I give the organization my highest recommendation and I would be honored to work with them on future projects.
