3/12/2023 A nomination!I've been nominated! I received a surprise email from One Dance UK with a congratulations on my nomination for an award. The One Dance UK Awards are an annual celebration for people from across the dance sector to unite, celebrate, acknowledge and reward the people who have made an impact on the vibrant UK dance landscape. A nomination is almost as good as making the short list because it means someone has taken the time to put pen to paper, and recognises the ‘something’ you have done. The dance world is full of talented people, I doubt I will make the short list, but that doesn’t matter, just knowing someone has put pen to paper is good enough. It means so much to know that someone has taken the time to nominate me. 23/10/2023 Exercise with a scarf? Medau Movement - exercise with a scarf?
Isn't that for children? Release your inner joy, share a smile and move! 'I did not think I could work so hard with a scarf' 'I felt surprisingly stretched- something I was not expecting' 'I could do the whole class!' The scarf make me work the whole of my arm' Not all exercise classes are the same- it is not what you do- it is how you do it. Medau Movement at Freston Garden and Elm Court - a full hour of movement and exercise to music. Movement and exercise to music- Southgate and Winchmore Hill- an exercise class for mobilisation, falls awareness, balance and friendship! Movement and dance for myself.
I come to class for me; what does that mean? I deliver classes to adults of all ages, from seated classes to whole-body one-hour sessions where the chair is only used for coats, jackets, and water bottles. Over the past 20+ years, my class participants have said lovely things, but the one common thread is that people come to class for themselves. It isn’t a chore or an obligation; it isn’t an unrealistic commitment, but something that fits into their week. The Social Value of Movement and dance states that ‘The largest contribution to the £3.49 billion is the uplift in mental wellbeing provided to participants and volunteers in movement and dance, at £2.01 billion, or 59% of the total social value contribution. Critically, this represents a unique contribution of movement and dance of improved mental wellbeing for 1.2 million people through participation, plus 195,000 through volunteering. Class participants may have been told to take more exercise, but when you actually look at the people in the class; the lady who has had a cancer scare, the person who walks in alone but walks out talking to someone, the knee that wouldn’t bend to 90 degrees but now does, the faces that light up at a song, and the collective sigh at the end of something that was just ‘so lovely to do’ you know you are delivering more than exercise. The benefit of any class, from evidenced-based fall prevention to adult tap or ‘keep fit’, is the satisfaction of improving bit by bit each week. It may be balancing for longer, nailing the tricky time step or transition. It can be doing one more, better, slower or faster. It isn’t a team activity, but there is a collective satisfaction of finishing in time to the music. The personal connection is when you turn to smile at the person next to you, dance with a new partner or share a box of chocolates on a birthday. The class is an escape from the pressures of exams, caring for partners or parents, and the emotional support from those who really understand the daily burden of unexpected medical diagnosis and treatments, the newly widowed – it is a place with like-minded friends and a place to be yourself. Movement and dance contribute to mental uplift, but whatever triggered the initial motivation to join the class is paid back in multiple ways - in laughter, smiles and being part of a class community. 11/7/2023 Happy BirthdayAfter the excitement of Westminster, it was back to class and celebrating our birthdays.
Two of my classes came together today to share the 21st birthday of my Winchmore Hill class. Everyone had a birthday candle in a cup cake for their own birthday, which includes some extra special ones, and one lady is expecting a card from the King. The sense of belonging is so important, the Social Value Report highlights the ‘stickability’ of movement and dance, I put it down to good music (songs we can sing to) and exercise people can see the point and purpose in doing. Delivering a class isn't just about doing the right exercises in the right order, but being a friend, and creating a positive experience for everyone as it is where strangers do become friends. 30/6/2023 A Strictly Dancing night at WestminsterHow do you know if your dream has been realised? In 2019, as I started my final two-year term as Chair of the Movement and Dance Division of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, I was asked what I wanted for the division and, without hesitation, I replied that I wanted movement and dance to be equal to sport and not the decoration on the top. Movement and dance falls between the gaps of art and sport, but we knew we has an impact within physical activity. As the chair of the Movement and Dance Division (2015-2021), I had been advocating for movement and dance at every event I attended, but having been told it would never get on the agenda without evidence, I knew that this was our one chance to put movement and dance on the physical activity agenda. But with no funds, no research resources and the world going into Lockdown, how was that ambition to be realised? How could we demonstrate to the world of physical activity and sport that movement and dance were equally beneficial and have meaningful and valuable impacts and outcomes? With the encouragement of the Alliance CEO, I began a Zoom consultation. Lockdown meant we could not be together, and transferring an interactive workshop to the virtual world tested us all, but it gave us all a sense of purpose, both personally and professionally, during those long months when we could not 'dance'. Using Sport England's strategy (Towards An Active Nation, 2016-2021) as a template, we considered each objective and if we achieved them through movement and dance. We knew we met each of the objectives, but with just anecdotal evidence gathered over 35 hours of consultation on Zoom with 38 teachers and practitioners, we needed something 'more' if it was to stand alongside funded reports. We needed data because the only way we could compare movement and dance to mainstream sports was to treat them like sports. The Alliance embarked on a project, the first of its kind; using Active Lives data, we calculated the social value of movement, and dance was analysed as if it was a sport. Alongside this, researchers undertook a literature review of evidence-based research to demonstrate the impact of movement and dance. On Wednesday 28th June 2023, the report was formally launched at Westminster. A small group of representatives, who had arrived early, gathered in the café, the first time we had seen each other since February 2020. We were apprehensive; wondering if people would take time from their busy schedules to attend. The Alliance staff had prepared the Jubilee Room - it looked just like any other meeting, but it was not. Movement and dance were centre stage, hosted by Kim Leadbeater MP; we were delighted that Shirley Ballas and Marius lepure were able to join us, and they were so generous with their time. With the 3 APPGs (Sport, Dance and Performing Arts Education and Training) public health, NHS, education, Sport England and Parliamentarians, we were in the centre of the room, not in the corner looking in. We were told of the monetary savings, £3.49 billion social value, which included £157.56 million contribution to the reduction of type II diabetes and £430.3 million to physical and mental health. We listened to how movement and dance create cohesion in schools and how a young lad didn't know he liked dance until he was given a chance to try it. We all appreciated the impact that dance has on children with specific educational needs, the child who cannot cope in the classroom but can participate fully in dance without any additional support. We nodded with a collective understanding of how dance brought someone with dementia back to their family and stood in awe of those who create safe places and spaces for children to dance, keeping them away from gangs and the dangers of the streets. Every M&D representative organisation had access to people who influence policy; we were front and centre. Everyone was talking about the benefits of dance and how it changes lives. There was no moment when we had to say...what about us? People asked me if I was OK and why I was not crying because I have been known to shed an emotional tear. I stood watching the people in the room and, in a far corner, a group of dancers were talking about all things dance. Most had begun their dance careers in local halls, just like thousands of other children who are taken to Saturday morning ballet and adults who followed the music to peep cautiously into the room to discover the world of salsa and ballroom. They all found dance in different places and at different times in their lives; one became a Strictly Celebrity and the others became dance teachers, adjudicators and Board members, all sharing the same passion for dance in halls similar to the ones in which they had learned to dance. In 2020 I began a piece of work because someone had faith in me to make it happen, but it was only when I had separated myself from it and looked in as an outsider could I truly appreciate the monumental steps we had taken. I close my eyes and see a room of people from different organisations and genres united through this report. It was a herculean challenge to begin the process of changing and challenging minds and perceptions. What next? More people dancing, more social prescribing to local exercise classes, and more children dancing. One of the many questions might be how we encourage more boys to dance and celebrate their dance successes in the same way that the Lionesses and ladies' cricket teams have finally achieved the recognition they deserve. Girls have equal access to football in PE, but there are probably as many boys who enjoy dance as there are girls who want to play football. They should have equal access to movement and dance without the fear of name-calling and bullying or being made to feel inadequate because they don’t enjoy traditional sports. This report is the beginning; it must be used in policy, decision making and funding. Those who are unfunded need recognition for their contribution to the physical activity ecosystem as they dance under the radar. Their impact and previously uncalculated and undocumented contributions are available for everyone to use in this document. Everyone should be given the opportunity to experience good quality movement and dance throughout all stages of life and find an activity that suits them and their needs and wants. There is a dance for everyone, and everyone should be allowed to dance their dance.
12/6/2023 Happy 21st birthday!Wishing my Highlands Class- now at the Church in the Orchard a very happy 21st birthday!
COVID has reduced our numbers- but we are ever so happy in our new home, here we are celebrating our 10th birthday. 29/4/2023 Happy International Dance DayToday is International Dance day, which aims to raise awareness about the benefits of dance. International Dance Day is marked on April 29th to celebrate the art form.
From ballet to salsa, tap to keep fit and bopping in front of the TV, we know the value of 'what we do' because we experience it every time we start our classes - the joy of moving to music, being with others, creating a different experience each time. My classes are non competitive, non judgemental- happy and joyous! 15/4/2023 New term!As we welcome the spring, the photos on our phones and the turning of the pages in our diaries remind us of sunny days, salads and long cocktails. As we plan summer breaks and day outs we also have to navigate an additional Bank Holiday, for the coronation of King Charles III.
It seems as if it was just yesterday that we were celebrating Queen Elizabeth's jubilees, then swathed in sadness we watched from afar as a wife, children and grandchildren buried the patriarch of their family, and then the children and grandchildren said farewell to their matriarch. A husband and wife reunited, together, forever. Now, we look forward to a coronation. Street parties, pageantry, special editions of magazines and live commentary across the world - think how times have changed since the coronation. of Queen Elizabeth II. This is the first, and could possibly be the only coronation in my lifetime, but I know class participants will have stories from the 'last coronation'. The Royal Family is part of the fabric of our lives, and we will be commemorating this occasion with special classes on
28/3/2023 Question.Did you know that people can expect to spend more of their lives in poor health?
Taking control of your health isn't just popping statins and drinking water. It is keeping active and finding the activity that gives you joy. Yesterday in class someone said- exercising and laughing is good for us all! Find the thing you enjoy- and reap the benefits! 22/3/2023 Just enough sunshine!While inspecting the daffodils and moving a pot of expired crocuses to the bottom of the garden, I heard a gentle trickle of water. Sitting in a small puddle of sunshine my water feature and it was gurgling away.
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