How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway Tickets

Get ready to dance! The Peabody Award-winning documentary How to Dance in Ohio is now a moving, celebratory Broadway musical. Set an alert for How to Dance in Ohio tickets on TodayTix now.

In 2015, Shiva's documentary uplifted viewers with the story of seven autistic young adults preparing for a formal dance, providing a moving and thoughtful look into what coming of age with autism looks like. Now, soaring music and performances by autistic young actors give the subject new depth.

See why The Syracuse Post-Standard raved, "You’ll pause in the lobby to catch your breath, clear your head, and see if anyone else is as giddy as you are. How to Dance in Ohio is the musical you’ll talk about for the rest of your life.”

Join the dance by getting tickets to How to Dance in Ohio in New York.

The How to Dance in Ohio musical takes place at a counseling center in the capital city of Columbus, where the young adults prepare for a spring dance as part of a social skills workshop for people with autism. In the process, not only do they learn new skills and make progress, but they experience the hallmarks of coming of age — love, stress, confidence, self-discovery — in surprising and extra-meaningful ways.

Director Alexandra Shiva's documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, with an HBO release following. Shiva won the Peabody Award for her work the following year, and it wasn't long until the idea of a musical came about.

Beginning in 2018, bookwriter/lyricist Rebekah Greer Melocik and composer Jacob Yandura teamed up to adapt Shiva's film for the stage. A 2022 world premiere in Syracuse preceded the How to Dance in Ohio Broadway premiere. Sammi Cannold — known for her New York City Center production of Evita — directs, and Mayte Natalio choreographs.

What to Watch For

• Legendary director/producer Harold Prince was a dramaturg for How to Dance in Ohio and was originally set to direct. Though he died in 2019, his research and artistic contributions remain.
• The entire lead creative team — both writers, director, and choreographer — and the seven lead actors of How to Dance in Ohio are all making their Broadway debuts.
• All seven actors who play autistic characters are autistic.
• How to Dance in Ohio has an autistic creative consultant, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, and a director of community engagement, Becky Leifman, on its production team to ensure the show is accessible to and engaging with audiences, and to tell the stories of its autistic subjects authentically and respectfully.