Animated Edition - Winter 2023
Focus on: “…voices in dance can activate our strength..."
“…voices in dance can activate our strength as a potent social force: not only by offering imaginative approaches to community building, health and wellbeing and fairer living, but by simply enacting our agency and imaginations in our art.” Dr Sue Smith, Chair, People Dancing
Whether you or your work remain confined by the consequences of the pandemic or you are simply choosing to stay put inside during the worst of the (British) weather, this latest issue of Animated offers a wonderful wander around and through many communities and places within the world of participatory dance practice. From the intimacy of personal thoughts and experiences to large scale international collaborations and big ideas, we hope you find inspiration and delight as you travel through its pages.
Louise Katerega
Associate Producer for Change
Chris Stenton
Executive Director
In this issue
Read and download the complete Winter 2023 digital edition of Animated magazine online in a flipbook.
Independent Dance Artist,
Jane Chan invites us all into a ’questioning practice’ about who we are and where we speak from, that we might move beyond simply not offending to understanding, care and respect
A combination of geography, choreography and a creative response to COVID 19 refreshed the practice and reset the direction of Bridport Youth Dance Company, which is based beside the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in south western rural England. Teacher, producer and choreographer, Nikki Northover, explains how
What difference can a dance artist make to the lives of people in crisis? Since January 2019, independent artist Louise Klarnett has been the dance artist in residence at The Magpie Project, a community initiative for homeless under- fives and their mothers based in Newham, East London. Her words afford us an exclusive insight into this extremely protected space to witness the ‘dance of attunement’: a touchstone of the supremely delicate, ultra-responsive and deeply informed practice she has developed there both in person and online
George Adams and Helen Gould, Artistic Directors of La Petite Mort Dance Theatre (LPM) share how the growth of their practice led to an international collaboration re-visiting the approach of 20th Century Mexican-American dance pioneer Jose Limon as source material for inclusive dance now
Sophie Lorimer pays joyful testament to her early lived experience caring for a parent with Young-Onset Parkinson’s as the creative catalyst for her career in community dance. Join her on the journey so far...
Louise Marshall, Dance and Accessible Arts producer at Eden Court in the Highlands of Scotland, prompted by a desire to dig further into the influence of recreational dance on adolescent participants, has developed an easy-to-use document that prompts other dance teachers to consider their practice in relation to gender, in particular those identifying as female
In November 2022, North-West based inclusive dance charity DanceSyndrome was confirmed as one of Art’s Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations for 2023-2026. In February 2023, the organisation will celebrate 10 years as a charity. Here, Sue and Jen Blackwell, the mother and daughter duo who formed the charity, reflect on their journey and the barriers that they faced along the way
Imagine how useful it would be to
articulate our skills of working with
others successfully, sensitively, with care
– to ourselves, employers, funders and collaborators... Sara Houston, Professor
of Dance and Community Engagement, University of Roehampton did just this as part of a European partnership Empowering Dance. Below she describes and invites feedback on the result of their enquiry:
a rich, engaging and free digital resource useful within and beyond dance
What, from our earliest dance experiences, stays with us to the other side of our professional training? Ashley Jordan (AJ)
Artistic Director of Coventry-based Ascension Dance, shines a light on the youth dancer he was to illuminate the professional he has become – one with a passion to both replicate and grow dance opportunities for
the next generation in his home city.
Deborah Norris, Programme Manager and Phaedra Petsilas, Programme Leader & Head of Studies, share the vision, ethos and community
of people on the MA Dance Research for Professional Practitioners
at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance
How can a touring dance company build loyalty, real relationships and stay relevant to the communities it serves when it is only passing through? Answer: in each location, deploy the unique skills and personal connections of its freelance community
and participatory dance artists as ambassadors. Emily Crouch, Engagement Producer for National Dance Company Wales, tells us more
YDance is the national dance organisation for children and young people in Scotland. It provides a range of dance opportunities across the country in rural and urban communities for young people
aged 0-25 years from a diverse backgrounds and experiences. Here, Artistic Director, Anna Kenrick and Kelly Shearer, Head of Participation reflect, through three recent projects, on the direction it has taken to support the visibility of and access
to dance for young disabled people, young people at risk and New Scots.
At the beginning of 2022 People Dancing welcomed
Dr Sue Smith, Senior Lecturer & Course Leader BA (Hons) Dance & Choreography, Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) Falmouth University as Chair. Here, we share Sue’s powerful opening address to us all about dance as an essential – especially in troubled times