Dancers of Chance

The Adugna Potentials is a dance group of young disabled Ethiopians. Twice a week, the Potentials gather in their dance studio, situated in one of the biggest slums of Addis Ababa. Here, they practice their skills or work on new performances, together with the abled dancers from the main Adugna group. Dance has provided the Adugna Potentials with confidence and the means of self-expression. An important achievement, since disability is viewed with harsh suspicion in Ethiopia; disabled children are often regarded as a 'curse', and hidden away or abandoned by their families. Over the last years, the Adugna Potentials have given powerful and highly regarded performances and workshops all over the country, which has helped to change people's prejudice about the disabled.