DANCE
Tuesday dance workshops at Freewheelers offer our members the chance to be expressive, physically active, creative and dance together in a welcoming, fun and nurturing environment. The sessions are underpinned by an inclusive technical syllabus called IRIS that has been developed by Stopgap Dance Company.
These sessions are structured to offer all dancers the same rigorous and joyous approach to dance that would happen in any other dance studio, but with support and translations that make them accessible to all.
This session also encourages independence and exploration of movement as well as finding ways to connect and communicate with others through dance.
A typical session would include a warm-up, pass the dance (a chance to dance how you fancy today), fitness, technique and then creative tasks or rehearsals for a performance. They are led at a good pace with plenty of opportunities for enquiry and responses.
Tuesday dance performs whenever the opportunity arises as part of Freewheelers creative output.
Thursday morning dance workshops follow the same structure as our Tuesday dance workshop and use the IRIS syllabus. They are delivered at a slower pace and use props to encourage and develop movement.
This session offers each dancer the opportunity to discover unique ways they can express themselves with skilled support and the space to explore. These sessions are also about allowing time and care with each other, to enable the group as a whole to dance together and elevate everyone.
Thursday dance performs whenever the opportunity arises as part of Freewheelers creative output.
Thursday afternoon dance is a lively workshop for dance lovers who enjoy working on choreographed pieces within a group or taking on a solo. Using a variety of dance styles and ways of expressing ourselves, such as musical theatre, commercial and contemporary, we work together to make dances that mean something to us. The classes support and develop each unique dancer to gain confidence in performing on the stage.
NICKY NORTON
Nicky studied Drama & Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham, with a final year specialism in dance and choreography. As a dance artist and drama teacher, she has been performing, teaching and choreographing for the past 30 years.
The passion she has for her art forms and especially for teaching, leads her to constantly challenge her knowledge, abilities and perceptions; never settling, always learning. Her creative work is playful, humorous and human; work which highlights the joy of dancing and acting together.
Nicky believes everyone should have the opportunity to access the benefits of dance and aims to enable this to happen in a nurturing, creative and fun manner.
Dance Tutor
jacqui evrington
Jacqui’s dance training was primarily in classical ballet at the Legat School of Ballet having gained experience in her early years with the Young London Ballet Company dancing at Sadlers Well, the Festival Hall and in the Nureyev Season at the London Coliseum. Over the years she went on to explore different styles of dance, acting and theatre work which led to travelling the world and working with diverse groups of people in some very interesting places. In the words of Dorothy though “There is no place like home” so with her feet finally firmly on dry land she made the wonderful discovery of Freewheelers and joined as a volunteer and hasn’t looked back!
Jacqui started working with Freewheelers in September 2017 as the Workshop Co-Ordinator and Assistant Dance Tutor and now also has the pleasure of leading the Thursday dance workshops.
“Freewheelers is a unique company and a special place where everyone is encouraged to explore, express and challenge themselves in a creative way across many forms of theatre. Working alongside our amazing members, volunteers and staff in the daily workshops is the highlight of my week and makes me smile every day.”
Dance Tutor & Workshop Co-Ordinator