About Diane Amans
Diane is a dance artist, choreographer, author and training consultant based in the North West of England with over thirty five years experience of leading dance activities with diverse community groups both in the UK and Europe. For 15 years prior to 2006, she was artistic director of Freedom in Dance – a company she founded to offer accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate in dance activities.
She currently works as a freelance dance artist, lecturer and consultant offering professional development, evaluation, mentoring and project management work. She is an Associate Artist of People Dancing and has tutored on several summer intensives. She also deliver lectures and seminars for a range of universities and CPD organisations.
Recent work includes making an intergenerational dance video challenging stereotypes of youth and ageing; developing and delivering accredited training programmes for dancers wishing to work in participatory arts with intergenerational groups and older people; performing dance projects with Bisakha Sarker (dancer) and John Killick (poet); working with health and social care staff to make dance accessible to people living with dementia.
She has written two textbooks: An Introduction to Community Dance Practice and Age and Dancing: Older People and Community Dance - both published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Images: Diane Amans, People Dancing Sumer School. Photo: Rachel Cherry.