Dance Together programme for Cavaliers Cricket Club, 7 Sep – 23 Nov

Redbridge
Free

About the project

We’re working with Colours of Redbridge and Cavaliers Cricket Academy on a transformative community dance programme designed to ignite and inspire a passion for diverse South Asian dance styles amongst participants from across Redbridge. This inclusive initiative welcomes participants of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds – including abled individuals, participants with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), and older adults (OAPs) – to explore the joy of movement and creative expression. the sessions are led by artists, Showmi Das, Jesal Patel and Manuela Benini.

The three artists have respectively been working with different communities, ensuring that each group receives appropriate support. Manuela works with adult SEND participants at Inclusive Communities, as well as for Tamil Special Children. Jesal conducts workshops for older adults including participants with varying levels of ability and mobility. Showmi’s sessions are open to  active participants of all ages and abilities—including young people, middle-aged adults, and the elderly, both female and male. 

The programme is structured in three phases: taster sessions, core training, and rehearsals. During the taster sessions, participants experience a wide variety of dance styles to discover their favourites. Following these introductory workshops, participants choose their preferred dance styles to develop further through focused training sessions. The project will culminate in final performance showcases in December where participants will come together, not only perform but also contribute their creative ideas to the choreography and production. This co-design approach ensures that participants actively shape the content and creative direction of the sessions, making the project truly reflective of the community’s voice.