EVERYBODY DANCE aims to inspire, explore and create great dance experiences with disabled and non-disabled people of all ages in unexpected spaces

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NEW FOR '22 - "THE WAY I SEE IT"

albert bannut

"The Way I See It" explores, captures, and shares the different ways people living with dementia perceive the world. It records a multi-sensory experience of the environment, the feelings, and imaginings that it excites. Taking place at National Trust site Croft Castle, members of the Leominster Meeting Centre are invited to ‘walk, sit and talk’ in the grounds. These responsive audio-descriptions will be played back to people in the same locations.

The project was conceived and is led by Rachel Freeman and is part of the Heritage Pathfinders project which continues in 2022.

OUR MAN IN THE MOONE

ANIMATION

This dazzling animation is created from pictures and sounds collected during EVERYBODY DANCE community workshops in Herefordshire: the wonderful people involved in its making are credited at the end.

We were very excited to announce in July that the book of the project had now been printed and we have distributed it to all the people who have been involved in the project. If you're not one of those people, please visit this page on our blog to read it.
Beautiful hard copies can also be bought from Whitbourne Village Shop at £5 each.

Our Man in the Moone is a three-year arts, education and community project for people living in North Herefordshire, started in July 2018 and continuing until July 2020
The writer of the first - and most extraordinary - work of science fiction published in 1638, Bishop Francis Godwin, lived in the village that EVERYBODY DANCE is based in and we’re exploring, developing and celebrating this in a host of ways with many local people contributing.
The project began in Whitbourne with a book club, schools workshops, archive visits, a rewriting of the story, storytelling, a performance with stilt walking, and aerial dance. An Our Man in the Moone book of creative responses to the work has just been published and an exhibition of images is currently in production.

Spurred on by the successes in Whitbourne, the project would now have been on tour to Leominster and Bromyard were it not for the intervention of Covid-19...

HCA photo — Drawings for animation by Georgia Anstey

Up to March 2020 we had worked and spoken with many people in Leominster and Bromyard and had a diary full of exciting events for Our Man in the Moone. The days disappeared under lockdown and we're delighted to announce that our plans have been refreshed and revived. In the spring 2021 the project will re-emerge with aerial dance, storytelling, history talks, performances with local groups, organisations, schools and individuals in a celebration of community and a retelling of this adventurous tale from the 17th century.
We are skilled at improvisation and we are sure that plans will need to adapt to comply with whatever guidelines are relevant in the moment. This will probably mean working with much smaller groups and we are asking participants to adapt with us. One thing we are certain of - together we can learn lots of new skills, have masses of creative fun and discover new friends and connections.
Everyone is invited to get involved so please do get in touch with us.

Follow Our Man in the Moone here

Supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund, The Elmley Foundation, Herefordshire Community Foundation, Whitbourne Village Shop Fund, Susan Bulmer, Herefordshire a Great Place, Arts Council England, Leominster Town Council, Bromyard & Winslow Town Council, GVC, Philip Bates Trust, Lottery Community Fund.

LET’S DANCE

hands young and old

Photo by Dave Provis

After the success of our ongoing work in Herefordshire we’re extending and developing our Tea Dance project into Worcestershire. Bringing young people together with elders, those living with dementia, their family, friends and carers. Responding to COVID-19 guidlines, the work takes place in small bubbles of up to five people including one young person aged 10 to 20 years. Please join us in helping to make Worcester a more dementia-friendly city.

Let’s Dance is led by EVERYBODY DANCE in collaboration with The Swan Theatre.

VERTICAL DANCE FORUM

The Vertical Dance Forum is a network of 7 vertical dance companies working in Europe and Canada. In 2019 Rachel was invited to mentor their Alternative perspectives/Accessible Aerial week which brought VDF choreographers together with D/deaf and disabled artists. "The whole team were very open-minded, but it is difficult to imagine this meeting without the support of Rachel as mentor. Through her experience, sensitivity and sincere generosity, she has been able to accompany us and guide us in our strengths and weaknesses." "I really appreciated Rachel’s personality and valuable experience. Her interventions were very gentle, and she was a unifier and focal point that helped keep the flow of the research on track and comprehensive and everyone feeling fulfilled."

Click here for video

Film, photography and edit Mark Morreau

With thanks to the Vertical Dance Forum, Gravity & Levity for making me so welcome and teaching me much.

AERIAL YOGA

Rachel has practised yoga for over 35 years and has combined it with her experience and expertise in aerial dance to teach Vayu Aerial Yoga.

It is a practice that was developed to create space mentally and physically, by opening up the body through various postures, using a custom designed yoga hammock.

Rachel is keen to develop ways that Vayu can be made accessible for all abilities and ages.
To help with this development of accessible classes, to join a class or find out more, please visit Rachel Freeman Vayu Aerial Yoga here and on Facebook.

CREATIVE AGEING

Rachel has been leading dance and movement sessions for people with dementia and this little video by Alice Pengelly shows some of the work done under the umbrella of the Courtyard in Hereford.

https://youtu.be/9t-TgMC04TQ

EVALUATION TOOL KIT

Our new Tool Kit for evaluation is available for you to adapt and use for your own projects. We would like to work with you on its development so please let us know how you get on so that we can develop it further.

Find out more here.

REHEARSAL SPACE

We can offer a fantastic, airy, covered rehearsal studio for people who prefer to devise and rehearse outdoors. Please click on the pic for more info -