After Experiencing This Broadway Musical, These Students Felt Truly Seen

Within the autistic community there is a familiar precept: “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” And in the musical, How To Dance In Ohio, we meet seven autistic people.

Inspired by Alexandra Shiva’s Peabody Award-winning documentary of the same name, the show spotlights autistic young adults as they navigate how to prepare for their first big formal. Along the way they are forced to deal with stepping out of comfort zones and challenging themselves to do things that seem so unconquerable.

In the groundbreaking musical seven autistic actors made their Broadway debuts in leading roles. Amelia Fei is one of those actors. A Taiwan native who came to the United States in 2015, Fei knew that she wanted to be an actor since she was a child.

“I always had trouble identifying and expressing my feelings growing up, so when I was 12, I discovered how easy and magical it was in musicals to connect with people through song and dance,” says Fei who ultimately studied at American Musical and Dramatic Academy and has also been in productions of Avenue Q and the King and I. “I knew I wanted to do this ever since.”

After one matinee the cast and creative team did a talk back with the audience of students, many of whom were seeing their first Broadway show. For students from the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, the experience of seeing autistic actors on a Broadway stage was profound and exhilarating. Especially since many of the students are autistic.

“Seeing How to Dance in Ohio was very inspirational,” says JL who is a student at the New York City Lab School. “As someone who is autistic and also wants to be an actor, singer and entertainer, it really moved me. I resonated with the characters, especially the way they acted in the show. I saw so much resemblance to myself. I wish we had more of that representation out there.”

Seeing How To Dance In Ohio is just one portion of what the students at the New York City Lab School get to experience in the realm of disability justice. The school also partners with Anna Strout and Shade Adeyemo from the non-profit Voices of a People’s History.

Over the past three years they have collaborated on programs where students explore the history of disability narratives, representation and activism. They invite guest speakers and connect students with artistic and cultural institutions around the city where they can engage in accessibility, equity and inclusion efforts. Through their programs the students even have the chance to perform at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center.

For the Lab School students seeing How To Dance In Ohio and experiencing these programs was life changing. “Disability representation is often not included in school curricula. It is so crucial for students to see themselves represented authentically through their many intersecting identities, which How to Dance in Ohio does beautifully,” says access and inclusion specialist Alicia Ciocca, who helms the disability justice program. “We were fortunate to receive a grant from the Nest Support Project at New York University, which partners with public schools to support autistic learners.”

Even though How To Dance In Ohio closed on Broadway, the show—with a book and lyrics from Rebekah Greer Melocik, music from Jacob Yandura, choreography by Mayte Natalio, and direction by Sammi Cannold—will have a special reunion concert on May 20, 2024 at Palladium Times Square. During the one-night-only event, the original on-stage cast will perform selections from the show backed by the musical’s Broadway band. “How to Dance in Ohio is so powerful,” says Chris, a Lab School student. “Everyone should see it to bear witness to who autistic people are.”

The reunion concert means that even more people will have an opportunity to connect with these characters—people who were scarcely represented on stage in the past.

Just ask Ella, another New York City Lab student. Her favorite moment in the show was hearing one character, Drew, talking about how circuits make sense and people don’t. “I’ve always felt like humans are confusing and unpredictable. And math is easier to understand because it has clear strategies that always give the same solutions,” says Ella. “But this was the first time I’ve ever heard anyone else say they feel the same way.”

It’s also healing for the actors to have the experience of doing the show and meet people after. “It heals my inner child every time I talk to fans at the stage door,” says Amelia Fei. “I didn’t grow up in an environment where it is encouraged to talk about being autistic or autism in general. Hearing people feeling seen and empowered after seeing How To Dance In Ohio reaffirmed the importance of representation and having a supportive and welcoming community.”

Perhaps one of the most poignant elements of the show for people is seeing that they are not alone. “How To Dance In Ohio validated my experience as a young person with autism going through a world that doesn’t understand what that means,” adds Ella.

“It showed me that my autism isn’t just a diagnosis or an extra hurdle. It’s a gateway to a community of people who understand me, who are feeling and experiencing the same things. This show was one of the first things that made that part of me feel seen.”