Dance on the Move

Dean Reeve delivers Breakdance workshops at Exeter City Council's National Playday, Aug 2010

 
 
‘Dance on the Move’ offers accessible, family friendly, participatory dance activities to a new audience who have not previously experienced dance. Through a series of workshops at selected festivals, professional artists have inspired new dancers, whilst reflecting the diverse communities of Devon and combating barriers to taking part, be they economic, social, cultural or access.

Dance on the Move Aims:

• Reach new audiences and inspire in them excitement and the will to dance
• Offer free and accessible dance activities
• Encourage intergenerational/family learning
• Tap into the success of existing festivals, increase the dance element of the festivals and offer opportunities to explore dance forms
• Employ the skills & expertise of local dance artists in appropriate styles
• Add value to and benefit from profile of dance ing devon festival where appropriate
• Evaluate Dance on the Move with plans to develop each year, and look ahead to potential involvement in to Cultural Olympiad

  
With a unique sense of understanding and sensitivity to the needs of their participants and audience alike, the Dance on the Move practitioners consistently delivered dynamic workshops appealing to all ages and backgrounds.

Dance on the Move workshops have...

• encouraged multi-cultural learning and employ the skills & expertise of local artists to promote and facilitate the workshops.
• increased parents' "confidence” and “skill” to “move more” with their children.
• created enjoyment for families
• increased confidence levels of both children and adults
• equipped participants with routes to access activities should they wish to continue using them in the future.

“I think that the break-dance workshops were fantastic, and Dean was excellent at appealing to a range of ages, and presenting the activity in a fun and accessible way.  It added an exciting activity to the overall event, and we were very pleased with what was provided by Dance in Devon.” Helen Lisk, Play Development Manager, Exeter City Council”

Working with 6 local authorities, Dance on the Move has appeared at 10 festivals, providing employment opportunities for 20 local practitioners, offering workshops and performances in 8 different dance styles, engaging with over 1000 participants and over 2000 spectators! 

Matt Macklin delivers Breakin' workshops at Decoy Park, part of Teignbridge Council's U Can Cut it Summer Fun Fests

“I was very happy with how the sessions went, especially in the level of participation. My aims were to get across an understanding of breaking as creative dance, have people take an active role (as participants and not just audience), have participants learn moves, and create and perform their own combos, and for everyone involved to have fun.” Matt Macklin, Just4Funk