Photo by Lachlan Monaghan
Art Form Inclusivity in the Midlands
As part of Dance Leaders Group’s Strength 2 Strength project, focused on capacity building and sector development for the Midlands region, we are excited to be working with art-form specific organisations to address inclusive teaching methodologies across technique, approach and culture.
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There are 3 sessions programmed:
Disability Awareness and Inclusion training for South Asian dance styles
Inclusive Hip Hop
Ballet For All!
Photo by Jules Renahan
On Monday 7 July, Birmingham Royal Ballet & National Youth Ballet will be hosting ‘Ballet For All!’; a day of sharing, learning, and practical activity for those working in or who are interested in working with disabled dancers in ballet.
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The day will explore how ballet can be taught, choreographed or facilitated in an accessible way, focusing on practical information and tools that can be utilised in studio settings. We will share case studies, from Freefall Dance Company (Birmingham Royal Ballet) and NYB All In! (National Youth Ballet), see examples of work, and try out approaches in physical workshops.
Disabled and neurodivergent dancers and practitioners are currently under-represented in ballet studios. Dance Leaders Group, Birmingham Royal Ballet and National Youth Ballet are committed to addressing this by developing more inclusive practice, building more inclusive talent pathways, and opening up conversations regarding disability employment and representation in dance.
*For this event, we are using identity-first language in response to disability as it supports the social model of disability and is recommended in ODUK’s Inclusive Language Guide. We understand that the preferred approach depends on the individual and community preferences, and we will respect individual choices in our spaces, using terms people feel most comfortable with.
Inclusive Hip Hop
DLG have now confirmed a date for our 3rd and final Art Form Inclusivity session, which is taking place as part of the DLG Strength 2 Strength project.
Eloquent Dance will be delivering the training on Wednesday 17th September, looking at how we address inclusive teaching methodologies across technique, approach and culture in Hip Hop and Commercial Dance.
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More information will be available soon, but if you would like to book in advance, please register your place below:
Disability Awareness and Inclusion training for South Asian dancers
As part of the DLG's Art Form Inclusivity Programme, Sampad lead a session designed to equip trained dancers and dance tutors with the knowledge and practical tools needed to develop their skills for working in mixed-ability and disability-inclusive settings.​
​The session was led by Rashmi Becker (Step Change Studios). Rashmi has been dancing since a young age, and is the founder of Step Change Studios, an organisation which provides dance that is fun, accessible and inclusive for all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.​
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Guest contributors included Reena Tailer (Bollywood Dreams Dance), and visually impaired dancers Marsha and Mina