Social Program

Disability futures pull from moments of care that nurture our bodyminds. The late Stacey Park Milbern described a Disability Doula as someone who supports people though disability identity. Milbern’s post said, “...the work of supporting people rebirthing themselves as disabled or more disabled has a name. We are doulas. Crip mentorship/coaching/modeling at its best is disability doulaship. The fact that society doesn't even have language to describe this transition speaks to the ableism and isolation people with disabilities face in figuring out how to be in their bodyminds & in this ableist world.” (Disability Visibility Project).

A monitrice supports someone not only through birth but pregnancy and postpartum. Disability identity isn’t a binary. Those who bring and support you in disability community and culture continue to care and support you. In dance, you come to embody those who taught and danced with you. Our work is a composite made up of the movers who have impacted our bodyminds. This work is a score that will never be the same. Through it, we share our vulnerability and give care to one another. We ask, how do you imagine new futures through giving and receiving care?

Sydney Erlikh- Dancer/ Choreographer

Sydney is an injured dancer and scholar whose research on dancers with intellectual disabilities has been funded by multiple grants, including the Fulbright Finland Foundation. Funded by an Albert Schweitzer grant, she is co-founder of the Inclusive Dance Workshops at Access Living in 2019. Sydney produced, choreographed, and performed in the films Shared-Time (2020) and Moods in Three Movements (2021). In 2022, Sydney co produced and choreographed Monitrice Sway for Unfolding Disability Futures at the Plant in Back of the Yards and was invited to develop Shield on My Heart for the FLATFOOT Downie Dance Company for the Access Dance Festival in Durban, South Africa. She is a founding member of a local Chicago collective of disabled, injured, and sick performing artists called Unfolding Disability Futures. Last summer, she co-curated, choreographed, and performed Right to Wander as part of Cripping the Galleries at the Art Institute Chicago.

Will Bennett- Composer

A singer-songwriter and composer based in Chicago, Will Bennett is an active member of the city’s inclusive dance community. Will regularly leads music-based dance workshops and has scored and sound designed for numerous pieces. His work includes And Yet We Are Here (in progress), Ti(c)k To(c)k (2022), The Rosies (2022), Monitrice Sway (2022), and Shared Time (2020). As a singer-songwriter, Will has toured the Midwest and has recorded two full-length albums since forming Will Bennett & The Tells in 2014.

Maggie Bridger- Dancer

Maggie is a sick and disabled dance artist, fiber artist, organizer, and scholar interested in reimagining pain through the creative process. Maggie is a 2022 City of Chicago Individual Artist Program grantee and has held artist residencies through High Concept Labs, the Chicago Cultural Center's Learning Lab, Synapse Arts, and Chicago Dancemakers Forum. Her work has been shown at Elevate Chicago Dance 2022, The Art Institute of Chicago, Cottey College, CounterBalance, and The Plant, among others. Most recently, she premiered a new version of her ongoing work, Radiate, as part of The Steppenwolf’s LookOut series. She is a co-founder of the community-run Inclusive Dance Workshop Series and a founding member of Unfolding Disability Futures, a local collective of disabled performing artists. She regularly works with independent artists and organizations such as Synapse Arts, 3Arts, and High Concept Labs as an access dramaturg and consultant.

Erin Compton- Dancer

History buff and dancer with UDF. With UDF she has performed in “Shared Time” at the Plant in 2022 and at Arc of IL 2023 Annual Conference. In 2022 Erin Performed in Joffrey’s The Nutcracker. She participated in the Young Choreographer’s Project Los Angeles and is the Miss Amazing National Runner Up Jr. Teen Queen. In 2023, she performed at Gymnaestrada in Amsterdam. She is one of the youngest members to serve on the Illinois State Rehabilitation Council, representing students with disabilities transitioning from high school to their futures. She was named 1 of 6 SARTAC Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center Fellows in the Country for her project “Accessibility of Wellness”. She presented on inclusion and Supported Decision Making at conferences, including the IL Statewide Transition Conference and the Division for Early Childhood Conference.

Maypril Krukowski- Dancer

A TikTok Queen who loves dancing, Maypril is a part of the leadership for Unfolding Disability Futures Collective. She has performed in the 2022 and 2023 CounterBalance, as well as two productions with Momenta Dance Company. Her recent performance at the Art Institute of Chicago, in Right to Wander, received positive reviews from the Chicago Reader as well as the Access VSA blog. She is surrounded by a phenomenal group of individuals who are her biggest supporters. They are helping her to break new ground so that she can open the doors for others.