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
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)
‘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.
Enjoy these beautiful images from our show, taken by portrait photographer
Ming De Nasty
An incredible cast of dancers bring in a new day, using touch, weight, momentum, balance, flow and connection, celebrating how we move through the day and how the day moves us.
Wow what a night !
Shropshire Inclusive Dance is so proud of all the performers, our hard-working team and so thankful to such a brilliant and supportive audience. Sunrise to Sunset was a huge success.
Dancers, you were amazing ! Performing with creativity, connection, virtuosity and so much heart.
The show was presented by the wonderful Gareth Price-Baghurst, who wove our story of the day together with his writing expertise, charm, gravitas, poetry and humour.
Our wonderful SiD groups – Create, Highflyers, Thrive, Darwin Dancers, and Contact Dance Company created work to express and animate our experiences of the day from Sunrise to Sunset.
Our team of dance artists and specialists including Anna Belyavin, Delphine Wise, Cat Merrick, Julie Wright & Rosie Hayward worked with each group, supporting them to tell their stories and to shine.
Envisaging and bringing the show together has been satisfying and hard work for SiD Artistic Directors Rachel Liggitt ,Ray Jacobs and SiD Manager Jo Wright, but seeing the artistry expressed and joy that dance brings to everyone involved sure makes it worthwhile.
Comments from the audience.
‘The performance last night was inspirational. The concept of weaving a story into the performance was brilliant. Often you can be left feeling why was that show called what it was. So, Sunrise to sunset was clear and apparent throughout and made you feel you were indeed being taken on a journey.’
The show included those beautiful lanterns created by Amanda Hillier (Hillier Designs) and our costumes were cared for and tailored by our Wardrobe Supervisor Sue Hall.
Big thanks to Cal Barre and Theatre Severn technical staff who created a beautifully lit stage and operated sound and lights, the Hive Shrewsbury venue for supporting us throughout the programme of classes and dance making and The Gateway Centre supporting our classes through Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College.
Many thanks to our Stage Manager Rachael Holbrook who kept us all calm, focused and organised on stage, and the extra support from Richard Edwards.
Also, a shout out to our board members supporting our front of house on the night and Ellen Purse who worked hard to support our marketing of the event.
SiD was supported by the presence and words of The Worshipful Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Wagner.
More comments from the audience.
‘The performance was skilfully put together, and Gareth’s guidance through the evening tied all the threads together with ease. The performers shone and it was beautiful to see how individuals could shine through while watching a true company perform. All a reflection on how wonderfully SiD hold and guide your work.’
‘I left feeling light and energised for my journey home, which journeyed through the sunset and then I got to spend time with the full Stag Moon which was orange, huge and low in the sky – it felt like it was guiding me home.’
It is our funders who have made this event possible. We would like to acknowledge the support of The True Colours Trust, Shropshire Council , Arts Council England, Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin , Actio Shropshire, Fabric, Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College,The Basil Houghton Memorial Trust, Shropshire Community Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund.
.All photographs are beautifully taken by Ming de Nasty, more images will follow soon
SiD shared a fantastic night of dance film and dance performances with a packed audience at The Hive in Shrewsbury.
Groups from SiDs weekly classes and its new project for 16 – 30 yr olds Darwin Dancers, shared amazing dances on film and on stage.
The evening culminated with the premiere of SiDs new professional touring piece
‘Here There Everywhere’
The new work choreographed by Siobhan Hayes and performed by Mervyn Bradley, Chander van Daatselaar, Beth Gardiner and Anna Belyavin was immensely enjoyed by the appreciative audience.
Below is a film of the evening created by Calum Barre capturing the unique atmosphere, commitment, skills and creativity of all the dancers involved.
Contact Dance Company performed Here There Everywhere to appreciative audiences at The Shrewsbury Food Festival. The work really captured the attention of festival goers, audiences literally stopped in their tracks to watch this powerful & unique work. The short film clip below was created by film Maker Calum Barre to support future touring of this eye catching inclusive dance show,
Shropshire inclusive Dance 