At its heart, How to Dance in Ohio is a deeply moving, funny, and uplifting coming-of-age story about connection, identity, and the courage it takes to step out of your comfort zone.

Based on Alexandra Shiva’s award-winning 2015 HBO documentary, the musical follows a group of young adults navigating the exact same milestone so many teens face: preparing for a spring formal.

The Story

The show takes place at an autism counseling center in Columbus, Ohio, run by the dedicated Dr. Emilio Amigo. To help his clients practice social skills in a real-world setting, Dr. Amigo decides to host a formal dance.

The plot centers on seven autistic young adults—including Marideth, Caroline, and Drew—as they spend twelve weeks preparing for the big night. For them, the upcoming dance isn't just a party; it's a gauntlet of incredibly stressful social hurdles. The audience gets a front-row seat to their inner lives as they tackle everyday challenges like:

How to make small talk without a script.

How to pick out an outfit when fabrics can cause sensory overload.

The terrifying vulnerability of touching someone's hand or asking for a dance.

As the countdown to the formal ticks away, the pressure builds. Not only are the young adults stressing about their own expectations, but their protective parents are also trying to learn how to let go and let their kids grow up.

Why It's Special

While it handles tough, real-world struggles, How to Dance in Ohio is fundamentally a joyous celebration. It completely avoids tragic or patronizing tropes. Instead, it lets the characters be fully human—witty, frustrated, ambitious, and beautifully unique.

The musical made theater history on Broadway by insisting that the seven autistic main characters be played by openly autistic actors, ensuring authentic representation on stage. By the time the final dance arrives, you aren't just watching a story; you are fiercely rooting for every single character to find their footing.

Established in 2022, Kids Can Sing is a comprehensive Youth Arts Organization that is currently taking Fresno and Madera County by storm. Thanks to our incredible donors and sponsors, Kids Can Sing is proud to say that 19% of the students in today's productions are able to participate at little-to-no cost thanks to our scholarship program. Our organization firmly believes that students should never be limited by circumstances out of their control and seeks to offer assistance and promote inclusivity as much as possible, in order to give all students a safe space to freely express themselves. 

In just 4 years, Kids Can Sing has grown from a small youth chorus into an organization that offers youth choirs, singing and dance classes, musical theatre performance opportunities, camps, and more. The future is bright for this organization and we thank you all for your support. 

For more information on upcoming productions or classes, please visit our website www.kidscansing.com or follow us on Instagram @kidscansingfresno