[3]Alessi has said that he was greatly influenced in his career by the experience of growing up with family members with disabilities: "I have three immediate relatives with disabilities—my mother was quadriplegic following a traffic accident when I was 7, my sister had polio, and my uncle had what I call 'unique mental capabilities'".
[3] Dancers who have worked with DanceAbility include Alito Alessi, Emery Blackwell, Karen Nelson, Scott Smith, and Charlene Curtis.
DanceAbility began as a project of the Joint Forces Dance Company, giving a workshop on Contact Improvisation.
Teacher training is now given in several countries, including: Following a major donation in 2007 from Marisa De Leon, founder of a school for children with disabilities in Montevideo, Uruguay, DanceAbility International has expanded into Latin America.
Workshops have been held in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn, São Paulo, and Montevideo.