All Aboard – inclusive dance workshop at the Hive, Shrewsbury
We delivered a fantastic inclusive creative dance workshop at The Hive over Easter for 7-11 years, it was so much fun exploring all things superhero! We will be back by popular demand in August. This is the start of a new partnership with The Hive in Shrewsbury we will keep you posted as new dance opportunities at The Hive develop.
‘Unspoken’ a beautiful duet performed by Contact dancers Mervyn Bradley and Rachel Liggitt was filmed at The Elmhurst Theatre in Birmingham. The film was shown at this prestigious Russian film festival. You can watch the duet by clicking on this link
SiD and JTV production were commissioned by Telford and Wrekin Council to work with their wonderful and energetic short breaks group Kreative Kidz. We were asked to facilitate a fun and creative week exploring dance & flying kites. Our aim also was to create a film at the end of it to be shown at Telford Kite Festival.
We had a very creative and thankfully sunny week. It was great to spend the time dancing with the children and young people from Kreative Kidz followed by time simply flying kites.
The film created was really appreciated by all who watched it and we hope to share it with you on this website very soon.
SiD have led a powerful and inspiring project with members of Cerebral Palsy Midlands culminating in a performance at Elmhurst School of Dance in Birmingham
The Sid team worked with the group weekly over three months, exploring ways of each dancer expressing themselves with power, grace and their own unique dance. Having dancers from SiD’s Contact Dance Company to act as role models and skilled animators was really important to the success of the project.
In the photo above we see Contact company members Mervyn and Erika (rhs of duets) performing with Jane and Peter from Cerebral Palsy Midlands.
After many weeks of exploring dance within quite a small studio at Cerebral Palsy Midlands the entire cast had a week rehearsing at Elmhurst School Theatre. The performers worked really hard with an incredible amount of focus to produce a great show. Heres is the view form one of the dancers parents from CPM
As I walked into the theatre, I honestly did not know what I was expecting from this performance, but as soon as the curtains went up I was hooked and so were the audience around me, by the end there was not a dry eye in the house.
It was amazing, emotional and educational!
As a mother I was in awe of my two daughters, for all the effort they have put in to the performance, Vicky has come of age, it was one of the first times I have looked at her as a grown woman and Sarah for supporting the people from Cerebral Palsy Midlands and even joining in the performance.
As Anthony Lunney said “I bet you wasn’t expecting that, was you?”I said “You all continue to totally amaze me”
I have never seen Vicky and the other performers so focussed, Gary Clifton so expressive or Peter Dunn being so cool.
Gary Clifton who is usually such a quiet man cried after and said “Did you really like it?”
“Yes Gary”,was the answer, “You were all totally amazing.”
A big giant Thankyou to all the people involved, I am in awe of how you all achieved to bring the performance together.
Everybody wants to know when they can do another project again.
As a trustee at CPMids, I felt proud as punch and would be willing in the future to look into what we need to do to continue to allow the people who come to our centre to express themselves with movement, music and dance.
(Images – Chris Nottingham)
SiD co-director Rachel Liggitt led a wonderful weekend of training in inclusive dance practice on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd February. Practitioners from across the country travelled to Shrewsbury to explore what inclusive practice means in their work.
12 participants took part in the weekend held at the lovely Trinity Centre in Meole Brace. The dancers chatted and danced and shared their experiences and questions.
Rachel took the dancers through lots of tasks and ideas to take away and adapt to their groups. Participants also got a handbook that discussed an inclusive approach further.
After the success of the first training weekend we hope to run another for freelance practitioners, support workers and teachers soon.
You and a family member (or friend you would like to dance with) are warmly invited to our second series of three creative dance workshops in Shrewsbury.
Together we shall explore movement and dance as part of a group and in duets. We shall work creatively and lightly. The workshop tasks ranging from reflective focused work to playful abandon.
The project is led by DASH associate artists and co-directors of Shropshire Inclusive Dance Ray Jacobs and Rachel Liggitt.
The workshop leaders are all creative and experienced practitioners in the fields of choreography and community dance.
Dates of workshops:
Sunday 15th February 1.15 – 4.15pm
Sunday 8th March 1.15 – 4.15pm
Sunday 29th March 1.15 – 4.15pm
The workshops are for participants aged 8 years – 108 years!
Ideally we would like dancers to attend all 3 sessions to get the most out of the workshops.
Cost per workshop per participant £7.50
Contact Ray or Rachel for additional information.
Shropshire Inclusive Dance co-director Rachel Liggitt is running a two day course on inclusive dance practice in February.
The 2-day weekend intensive for practitioners who want to gain skills, knowledge and experience in inclusive dance practice and who would relish a weekend of dancing in a beautiful space with others.
Workshop content
Inspiring and informative workshop, an ‘absolute must’ for all movement and dance practitioners interested in inclusive arts. The session will include lots of practical creative exploration. Attendees will be invited to be active agents in the workshop, participating in small and large group discussions and dancing, practical tasks and explorations.
The workshop will be inspiring, motivational in nature and highly reflective for all who attend. The aim will be to create a safe, supportive and challenging environment allowing for enquiry and open dialogue. Delivery of the session will be carefully structured and facilitated reaching all attendees by utilizing a range of approaches.
The workshop will include:
If you are interested in this course and would like more information, please contact course administrator Anna Belyavin via email – sidance@outlook.com with ‘inclusive dance intensive’ as the subject or by phone on 07738425742
A happy new year to you all. We are really looking forward to 2015 here at Shropshire Inclusive Dance.
We finished off the Autumn term with lots of Christmas celebrations with our short breaks groups and our contact dance company. It was great fun.
Our weekly short breaks sessions have begun this week and we are working in three schools in the Telford area. Our team offer one hour creative dance sessions at Southall, Haughton and The Bridge. Our group from Southall are going to be performing a dance piece at Telford Dance Showcase on Wednesday 4th February. The showcase is taking place at Oakengates Theatre and will involve lots of groups from across Shropshire. Tickets are available from the theatre box office.
Our contact dance sessions start on Thursday 15th January. We offer two classes at The Gateway in Shrewsbury for disabled and non disabled dancers aged 16 and over. If you are interested in joining us then please get in touch. Information is on our contact page.
Contact! Dance company took part in Sightseers for Big Dance 2014. The company performed two shows at Telford Town Park on Saturday 12th July 2014 alongside Arcadian Youth Dance and Pulse street dance group.
The theme of Sightseers was developed by Dave McKenna and performances took place all across the West Midlands to celebrate Big Dance 2014. The piece was choreographed by Rachel Liggitt and the performers had a wonderful time dancing in the sunshine! The performance was supported by Telford Culture Zone and Dancefest, Worcester.
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Shropshire inclusive Dance 