Disability support and dance: finding work that brings you joy 

Founder of Infinite Abilities Performing Arts Zoe Karatzovalis has held a deep love of dance since her very first lesson. “I forced my mum to put me in classes at five years old and I loved it from the get-go. I loved how it made me feel,” she says.

In the years that followed, Zoe ventured off from the small town she grew up in and travelled to Adelaide and then Sydney in pursuit of a dance career. While she gained experience, she soon found that the world of dance was wearing her down. “It was a cutthroat industry and I wasn’t ready for it,” she says.

Taking a moment of reflection

So she took a break and turned her attention to another world she’s deeply passionate about: the disability sector. “I have a brother on the spectrum and always wanted to work with people with disabilities,” says Zoe.

She applied for a role as a disability support worker right as the COVID-19 lockdowns hit in 2020 and, as an essential worker, was tasked with supporting people each day during that particularly isolating time. “Doing disability work was making me really happy.” The fulfillment she felt sparked an idea. Zoe wanted people with disabilities to share in the joy she feels while dancing.

Spreading joy through dance classes 

“I started by putting on fun dance classes for people on the spectrum. Then, once I had more experience, I thought, ‘Why not open up a disability dance studio? What do I have to lose?’”

When the studio doors opened, Zoe’s focus wasn’t getting hundreds of students immediately. Her initial goal was “to create a space for people with disabilities to learn the same things any mainstream dance class would teach but with a more patient and safe approach. I wanted to provide a source of happiness for my students.” As an established disability support worker, Zoe found people in the community were excited to see her dance project up close and from there, word spread organically, allowing her dream to blossom.

She launched Infinite Abilities in 2023 and today, the business has three studios and 60 students. For Zoe, running her own business is an achievement that makes her incredibly proud, “It was hard. I did everything on my own.” But the results have been more than worth the effort.

“People think students just take classes to dance but they’re learning so much more,” says Zoe. “They’re learning to connect with people. They’re learning about etiquette. They’re learning about working hard. It’s so cool to see.” 

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Published: 5 November 2025