Creating and Embracing Dance Together
Find out more about Shropshire inclusive dance
SiD’s Contact Dance Company have been creating some beautiful dances, exploring moving together and improvising with poles through the guidance of our co artistic director Rachel Liggitt.
We have been enjoying focusing simply on improvisation, building a growing awareness of how we listen to our own bodies and each others as we dance in the moment.
Images by Ray Jacobs
Three of SiD’s dancers Beth, Chris and Mervyn, are on a creative journey making their own digital dance animations in partnership with animator Eugenia Hamilton
The project is supporting Beth, Chris and Mervyn as artists and dancemakers.
The dancemakers have spent 3 days in the dance studio moving, sharing and creating their own storyboards.
Mervyn, Beth and Chris are now in consultation with the animator Eugenia, in getting their animations just right, including the flow and message in the stories, and the look and movement language of their character.
We are documenting the project through the work of filmmaker Calum Barre so as well as having three amazing short dance animations to share, there will be a documentary produced about how the dancemakers made their work.
There will be opportunities to watch the animations online and on screen in July, we will let you know when we have more details.
This is a new area of work for SiD, our partners to support us in this include Media Active Projects and Musician Andy Lowe.
This project is part of our ‘Engage Create Bloom’ 2 year programme of inclusive projects funded by Arts Council England
S
SiD’s ‘Thrive Inclusive Dance Class’ is a great experiance for people who love dancing and moving together to music.
We would like to invite more people who love dancing and music to come and join us.
Thrive is a place where people can really be themselves, enjoy dancing, move to the beat, connect with other dancers and be together.
We meet on Wednesdays at the Hive in Shrewsbury from 1.30pm – 3pm
Participation is through booking in advance. If you are interested in being part of this inclusive class please contact us and we can arrange a free taster class for you.
Contact us via a Facebook message, phone 07788577040 or email officesidance@gmail.com
(Images by Ming De Nasty)
A huge welcome back to all out dancers and participants in our Create, Thrive and Contact Dance Company classes. We really look forwards to seeing and dancing with you at all Hive Shrewsbury beginning this Wednesday 29th April 2026.
This term we will be exploring the art of dancing in the moment, listening to how we want to move, dancing on our own or with each other, making it up as we go along while responding to the music dancers around us. ( Images by Ming de Nasty)
Chloe has danced with SiD since its inception in 2012 ; she is a very integral part of the SiD family. Her fantastic dancing, friendliness, creativity, love of dance and commitment to SiD have really shone. We are so thrilled that she is part of our Contact Dance Company. Chloe often attends classes alongside her father Kevin, who is also a dancer with SiD. It´s fantastic that we have a father and daughter dancing with us.
As well as dancing with us regularly and performing in many of our shows Chloe has joined us in teaching workshops as part of our residencies with Maynard in West Wales.
We asked Chloe the following questions about her time with Shropshire Inclusive Dance
What does dance mean to you ?
Dance has always been a huge part of my life. I spend a lot of time dancing and thinking about dance. Dance comes into my life throughout my day, even when I’m closing gates, or collecting firewood, I am dancing.
How do you feel about being part of Shropshire Inclusive Dance and Contact Dance Company ?
I love being part of SiD and Contact Dance, they feel like part of my family.
I enjoy dancing with all my friends at SiD. We have a fun time together. These friendships are amongst my most important relationships. I love and respect SiD artists and teachers. I love partner work with other SiD dancers.
My favourite dancing memories with SiD
Performing in SiDs showcases.
Dancing in the duet ‘Father and Daughter’ both with my dad and Ray performing the father role.
What do you enjoy about performing?
I love the calm of preparing for a performance and it feels fantastic afterwards
What other things do you enjoy ?
Walking in the woods and dancing in the garden
What are your ambitions for the future ?
I would love to do more dancing and more acting. I feel that dance makes me a better person.
‘Welcoming the Dawn’ at the FEAST – Theatre Festival in Malvern
Our SiD trio ‘Welcoming the Dawn’ was really well received at The FEAST Festival in Malvern. It’s great to tour a piece and see the performances, shine, develop and adapt to all the different spaces we visit.
We also had a fantastic time dancing with participants in our workshop. It felt like everyone enjoyed dancing and celebrating the dawn together.
Huge thanks to the festival its always such a treat to be part of FEAST – Theatre Festival and we felt so warmly welcomed.
We stayed for the afternoon performance of Out of the Box by Daryl Carrington and it was a real treat, such a skilful funny and entertaining show and it felt good to be part of an incredible festival audience.
Contact Dance Company’s trio ‘Welcoming the Dawn’ was performed at the Redwood Centre in Shrewsbury in partnership with Arts for Health at Midland Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
We enjoyed warming up and performing in this beautiful space to an audience of nursing / care staff and patients.
The SiD team then led an informal, light and fun movement workshop which really lifted the spirits and energy of everyone present.
The images above are of our dancers warming up and performing as part of our visit.
Big thanks to the Arts and Health team and everyone at the hospital for welcoming us.
Our tour of Welcoming the Dawn to venues, schools and community groups across the Shropshire region is supported by Shropshire Council as part of ‘This Is Shropshire’ programme
Watch this beautiful short film sharing how our SiD’s community of dancers created our show ‘Sunset to Sunrise’ and the impact it had on our dancers and the audience.
´Sunrise to Sunset´ was performed on July 10th at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury. A cast of 35 diverse dancers from SiD´s classes, groups plus our own Contact Dance Company performed this beautiful reflection of a day on earth.
It was an amazing event that bought us all together
Moments from the rehearsals and performance plus thoughts from our performers and audience were captured by filmmaker Calum Barre.
Enjoy the film !
We feel the film captures beautifully what SiD is all about community, connection and the experience of dancing and sharing dance together.
Please share this post with your friends, colleagues and family !
With thanks to our partners
Shropshire Community Foundation
Shropshire Adult and Community Education
Shropshire Inclusive Dance (SiD) is touring an exciting inclusive performance and workshop experience to events, festivals, schools, colleges, and community groups across the Shropshire and West Midlands region this autumn. Touring to The Feast Festival Malvern, Southall School, Telford, Severndale Acedemy, Shrewsbury, Working Together Ludlow, to name just a few.
In July, SiD created an energetic, playful, and poignant trio, `Welcoming the Dawn,´ as part of their Sunrise to Sunset show at Theatre Severn. The trio is performed by two upcoming and talented SiD dancers, Beth Gardiner and Georgie Dawson, alongside SiD dance artist Anna Belyavin.
The piece explores the act of beginning a new day, welcoming the sun and the changes it brings. Choreographer and Co-Artistic Director Rachel Liggitt describes the piece.
´The dancers bring in a new day, shedding the previous one and all its woes, by using touch, weight, momentum, balance, and flow as they journey together towards a new beginning´
The performance and workshop experience includes witnessing the performance up close and exploring the themes of the dance in a creative and enjoyable workshop led by SiD´s inclusive team of dancers with and without disabilities.
Connection, togetherness, and joy of dancing are at the heart of SiD, and they will be sharing these qualities with all the groups they work with.
The tour has been made possible by funding from Shropshire County Council´s´ Vibrant Shropshire: a Cultural Compact secured funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund , Arts Council England, and The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
You will be required to work once a fortnight to support SiD’s Highflyers youth dance group in a central Shrewsbury location. You will be working as part of a team led by an experienced Dance Artist / Leader.
Highflyers Youth Dance is for young people aged 11-17 years with additional needs.
Our sessions are creative and movement-based; inclusion is at the heart of all that we do.
You will need an enhanced DBS check (we can arrange one for you if necessary).
If you would like to find out more, please contact
Rachel Liggitt
Co-Artistic Director
rachelsidance@gmail.com
To arrange an initial conversation to find out more about the role, SiD’s work, and the people we work with.
Shropshire inclusive Dance 