PROGRAM DETAILS:
Date Friday, January 15, 2027
Time 1-3 PM PM PT
Location Virtual
Cost Free with registration
When developing audio descriptions for dance, audio describers are often trained to “describe what they see,” even with choreographies created by artists who are blind. This instruction misunderstands the nature of dance as an art form and often results in ineffective and inaccurate audio descriptions that fail to express the artistic ideas of the work. What approaches can audio describers and dancers use instead? In this workshop, participants will learn four strategies for prioritizing non-visual aspects of dance audio description, and also learn about a popular but probably best avoided audio description method.
The workshop will be led by Krishna Washburn, a blind dancer, dance teacher, and the artistic director of Dark Room Ballet, a tuition-free professional fine arts program designed to support artists who are blind or visually impaired and artists working in the field of audio description. The workshop is intended for choreographers, dancers, producers in the field of dance and contemporary art, audio describers, dance audience members of all sight levels, and anyone wanting to learn more about accessibility and art for all audiences.
The workshop will be held in English and is free of charge.
[Image ID: A greyscale photo of a man, in a T-shirt and tights, kneeling on the floor of a dance studio. Two forearm crutches lie in front of him, as he looks to side, pensive. End ID.]
NUMU strives to be an accessible organization by accommodating the needs of all our constituents. The museum's building is ADA-compliant. There is a ramp to enter the Civic Center Plaza starting at the Los Gatos Library’s parking lot. There are no inclines between the lot behind the museum and the museum’s side entrance. The museum has a publicly accessible elevator, ADA-compliant restrooms on both floors, and a wheelchair and fidget toys are available to borrow when visiting. Should you have any accessibility concerns, please email us at visit@numulosgatos.org.
Exhibitions, programs, and operations are made possible by NUMU’s Board of Directors & Circle Members, the Michael & Alyce Parsons Art Endowment, Bequest of Beverly Ann Curtis, the Borgenicht Foundation, Ranae DeSantis, Christie's International Real Estate, The Flick Family, Jan Schwartz & Bob Baden, Lynx Properties, LLC, Carol & Rick Tinsley, The Town of Los Gatos, California Arts Council, and SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.
