UK’s Disabled Dance Talent Comes to Gloucester

Gloucester based specialist in dance and disability, GDance, has teamed up with the University of Gloucestershire to host some of the UK’s most creative young dancers this Easter.

A residential training course, called ‘Young Ignite’ takes place at Oxstalls Campus in Gloucester on 15 – 17 April.  As well as masterclasses with internationally renowned disabled tutors, the 18 – 22 year old participants also benefit from career development support and mentoring prior to, and for 6 months after, the Easter retreat.

Participants of an Ignite residency for adults in 2011 (photography: Kyle Stevenson)

(photography: Kyle Stevenson)

(photography: Kyle Stevenson)

Caroline Bowditch and Lisa Simpson, two of the Ignite Tutors offering mentoring to the young  creatives

The young dance artists, who are from  London, Dorset, Glasgow, Sunderland and Gloucester, will be supported to develop  their choreographic and leadership skills and to develop their networks.   They have been nominated for this opportunity and will continue to receive guidance from GDance and its Young Ignite partner organisations: Candoco Dance Company, Diverse City, Paragon, and Braena.

GDance is known nationally for its work to ensure disabled dancers are able to access the same opportunities in dance as their non-disabled peers.  Young Ignite has been developed in response to national research highlighting the lack of disabled choreographers and dancers working at the highest professional levels in the dance world.

Candoco said:
Layla-Marie is an ambitious young person who is at a stage where she needs support to help bring her to the next stage of her personal development. Young Ignite comes at an ideal moment, addresses her areas of need through the provision of a mentor, introduction to a variety of professional dance artists and companies and a clear long-term programme to provide focus.”

Layla-Marie, the young disabled dancer they nominated, said:
“I choreographed a piece at college that had a fusion of contemporary, ballet and hip hop. Being in a wheelchair and my dancers being able bodied, I had to explore different teaching techniques...I would like to find a successful teaching technique that I could use when teaching choreography that would work for all abilities”

This weekend is a beginning. GDance’s vision is that all dance classes will be open to all abilities and that the dance teachers of the future will not see disability as an obstacle to themselves or their students.

This programme has been made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England and BBC Children in Need, with in-kind support from the University of Gloucestershire.

For further information, contact Ailsa Hardy, Young Ignite Programme Manager, email: ailsa@gdance.co.uk tel: 01452 550431

GDance 
GDance, also known as Gloucestershire Dance, is a production and training company specialist in inclusive practice.  With our partners, we aim to effect real change and to address barriers to participation in, and progress through, the arts sector.

For more information, call Director Cath Wilkins at GDance 01452 550431 or e-mail cath@gdance.co.uk  / Website: www.gdance.co.uk

Candoco Dance Company, London 
Candoco is a company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, founded in 1991. Candoco produces excellent and profound experiences for audiences and participants that excite, challenge and broaden perceptions of art and ability, and place people and collaboration at the heart of our work.

For more information, email: info@candoco.co.uk / Website: http://www.candoco.co.uk/

Diverse City, Dorset
Diverse City works nationally/internationally making exceptional shows that profile the work of artists from diverse groups. Diverse City was founded in 2005 and is a leader in integrated work both participatory and professional bringing disabled and non-disabled performers together.

For more information, email: Makingcontact@diversecity.org.uk / Website: http://www.diversecity.org.uk/

Paragon, Glasgow
Paragon is an inclusive music company inspiring people to create and perform their own music. We are passionate about using music and the arts to raise people's aspirations, promoting positive self-image, teamwork, communication and learning.

For more information, email: ninian-paragon@btconnect.com / Website: http://paragon-music.org/programmes/m3/

Braena, Sunderland
Braena is an Interdisciplinary Performance Company, who create high quality performance work and facilitate, movement-based, creative workshops in the community.

For more information, email: anna@braena.net  / Website: http://www.braena.net/

Caroline Bowditch
Australian born but now Glasgow based performance artist and choreographer,
Caroline Bowditch, describes herself as a performer, maker, teacher, speaker
and mosquito buzzing in the ears of
the arts industry in the UK and further afield. For more information,  email: carolinebowditch@btinternet.com / Website: www.carolinebowditch.com

Jurg Koch 
As an educator Jürg focuses on contemporary dance technique and composition. He has a specialized interest in Integrated Dance and creating access to course content for a diversity of students. He is the organizer of the Integrated Dance Summer Intensive in Seattle.
For more information, email: kochj@uw.edu / Website: https://depts.washington.edu/disstud/faculty/j%C3%BCrg-koch

Stopgap
Seek to offer a window into a parallel world where human interdependence, strength and vulnerability play out with poetic realism. Stopgap Dance Company seamlessly integrates dancers with and without disabilities. For more information, email: admin@stopgapdance.com / Website: http://stopgap.uk.com/