Founded in 1987[2] by Thais Mazur, Bonnie Lewkowicz, Judith Smith and others, AXIS is a long running contemporary dance company that consciously develops choreography that integrates dancers with and without physical disabilities.

[1][9][10] They have commissioned works by a number of prominent choreographers, including Ann Carlson, Sonya Delwaide, Joe Goode, Joanna Haigood, Margaret Jenkins, Bill T. Jones, Victoria Marks, and Stephen Petronio.

[11] The company has also created pieces for commissions by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts,[12] Bates Dance Festival, San Francisco Exploratorium, and CAL Performances-UAM/PFA.

[9][1] This event was supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation National Project Program, and culminated in the creation of the report, The Future of Physically Integrated Dance in the USA, which looks at “ways to 1) improve and expand training opportunities and develop pedagogy for dancers with disabilities; and 2) improve training and expand opportunities for disabled choreographers and non-disabled choreographers to work with disabled dancers or integrated ensembles.”[18] Often when touring, AXIS will couple outreach, advocacy, and dance education into their stay at a venue.

In 2017 the company had a residency with Gibney Dance in New York City that included a choreography intensive, master classes, town halls, and teacher workshops.

[25] AXIS found a few ways to continue their work while the country and state of California were in lockdown: master classes hosted over Zoom (software),[26] virtualized school assembly visits,[25] and small improvisational exercises and prompts posted to their Youtube channel.