Inspired Community’s
Dance Woking seeks to engage with the diverse and unique communities that make up Woking in innovative and creative ways.
We do this by working with Community leaders to create a series of engagement activities such as Imagine Kantha a Visual Art and Dance Project in partnership with Liaise Women’s Centre, Woking and Amina Khayyam Dance with funding support from Big Lottery – Awards For All, Arts Council England and Woking Borough Council.
Community Collaborations
Children & Youth
Older People 65 Plus
Imagine Kantha
Imagine Kantha was designed to bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, ethnicities and abilities through a creative, social and integrated experience using movement and art. We want to help improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of participants and create increased community cohesion through this shared experience.
It was developed to follow the idea of bringing together different communities to share the joy of getting creative together in a similar way woman in West Bengal did when making a Kantha Blanket. They used their old saris and layered them with a kantha stitch to make a blanket, throw or bedspread. This would be done communally with stories being woven into the patterns and the finished blanket would be a group accomplishment. Kantha quilting has great history and has been mentioned in books written 500 years ago. In this project we combine art and movement and work towards a group piece of work.
Visual artist, Bhajan Hunjan, lead the creative art and embroidery workshops. This project used fabrics, fabric drawing & Kantha stitch, (a running stitch which is from a traditional form of embroidery), to create visually exciting pieces of art. Keeping up with the tradition of Kantha we love the idea of re-cycling where we can re-use old materials to create something new.
Experienced choreographer and dancer, Amina Khayyam lead the movement element of this project where the stories created through the visual art were brought to life using hand gestures and Kathak, one of the main traditional Indian forms of classical dance-drama.
Children & Youth Groups
Dance Woking also works with the Youth Service and other community groups to produce a range of exciting and creative activities. The Programme includes:
Rotate Parkour – Performance Parkour, delivered as weekly sessions in a youth club and also intensives during school holidays.
Sign-up to Dance Woking’s mailing list to receive details of future Rotate Parkour dates.
Evolve Dance – Contemporary led dance opportunities for young people aged 12plus.
Young people get the opportunity to work with professionally touring dance company’s where they experience taking part, performing and watching dance. These intensives are usually delivered during Half Term and Easter breaks. Previous Evolve projects have been led by professional dance artists from Richard Alston Dance Company, Alexander Whitley Dance, Tavaziva Dance, Scottish Dance Theatre, Yorke Dance Project, Northern Ballet, Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company, Angol Dance, Amina Khayyam Dance Company, Avant Garde Dance, and James Wilton Dance Company.
The groups perform as Curtain raisers, Community Platforms and other events.
Sign-up to Dance Woking’s mailing list to receive details of future Evolve dates
Activate Dance – for 7 to 11-year olds
This is delivered during half terms in a fun and creative way, encouraging teamwork, building self-esteem, trying new dance styles, making new friends, having fun and getting fit.
Sign-up to Dance Woking’s mailing list to receive details of future Activate dates
Youth Dance Clubs, Brownies, Cubs.
If you are a youth club and would like a one-off dance workshop or a series of workshops, get in touch with Dance Woking to discuss opportunities. We work with various organisations to provide youth workshops to encourage Health & wellbeing and support young people becoming active and engaged in their communities. We offer a range of dance styles and packages; there are also opportunities to join in with performance events such as Encounters, Party In the Park, Woking Slam and Young Dance Makers.
Contact Us for more details
Dance Gold & Social Tea Dances
Following a very successful series of Tea Dances online, Dance Woking in partnership with Woking Borough Council is rolling out a further series online. These Social Tea Dances feature a seated & standing version of the dance movement. Leading the standing element are guest teachers and have included Grace Black, Emily Neighbour, Ellie Dowling, Surrey Jive and in July we see The Swingsters lead the session. Kate Finegan leads the seated version. You don’t need a partner to take part. This is a lively fun 90 minutes of dance; community & connection featuring a warm-up and cool down.
Sign-up to Dance Woking’s mailing list to receive details of future Social Tea dance dates
Alongside the Social Tea dance, we are also hosting an online weekly dance called Dance Gold suitable for those aged 65 plus. This is currently being delivered online.
For further details please Contact Us
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