Dancing Into 2024!
Funding Announcement
We are really excited to share the news that our project Dance Maven by Waggle Dance Co.
is funded by National Lottery Project Grant through Arts Council England.
Choreographer & Lead Artist Jess Royle,
in partnership with producer Rachel Jean Birch (Moving Art Management)
can’t wait to get started!
DANCE MAVEN is a new creative project for young people by Waggle Dance Co. Bringing professional dancers to schools in Enfield, a live performance set to bespoke music.
Led by active co-creation workshops with KS2/3 participants (8-13yrs) we’ll combine literacy & explore cross-lateral movement exercises, to strengthen connections of both brain & body, supporting life-long skills & participants with dyslexia.
Secondary activity includes journalling, library visits, Q&A w/ a research fellow to boost social/emotional development, making connections with local community assets & inspiring onward education pathways.
Co-designed w/ Dr Siobhan Mitchell the workshops empower young creatives & contribute to a report for public dissemination.
Who is the Dance Maven Project For
DANCE MAVEN actively engages young people 8-13yrs in fun, accessible, movement sessions that explore literacy & linguistic skills in new creative ways.
Through workshops and performances, it allows participants to express themselves creatively and interact with professional dancers, enhancing their interest in the arts and awareness of creative careers.
Focus is also on bolstering communication and team-building skills, and involving participants in the creative process via questions, discussions about performance, artwork and poems from what they have experienced.
The program is integrated into three Enfield state schools and bridges the gap from primary KS2 to lower school KS3.
This initiative promotes inclusive dance practices, benefiting the wider creative community. It offers professional development for artists, especially those working with neurodiversity, and intern opportunities, representing a significant advancement for Waggle Dance Co, a female-led emerging talent in North London's community dance scene, as we all dance into 2024 and beyond.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Our journey in dance has been one of inspiration, creativity, and joy, and now, as we embark on an exciting new project, we invite you to be part of our journey. Join us in our Kickstarter; your support, big or small, makes a real difference and brings us closer to realising our artistic dream and community support. Explore our campaign, contribute if you can, and help us spread the word to make this a success!
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Our brains are designed to initiate body movement.
Dance helps to improve our wellbeing.
I truly believe that movement is medicine. If we can find a correlation during our sessions to prove that using cross-lateral movements can enhance our linguistic skills, then Dance should be brought in & kept in our education system.
The link between body & brain is important especially with young people (7-13 yr olds) who are going through a concrete-operational stage of their cognitive development. It’s important to me to support young artists & our workshops are tailored to include children with dyslexia/other neurodiversity who can face increased isolation within schools.
Dance is for everybody, it’s the most powerful form of storytelling.
