WAC Arts & Akademi Intergenerational Dance Project

Wac Arts partnered with Akademi to deliver a brand-new Intergenerational dance project, open and free to people of all ages from the local Hampstead area. The project brought together participants across generations to explore movement, creativity, and community through the lens of South Asian dance.

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Project overview

Over nine weekly sessions from 28 Sepetember 2025 onwards, participants gathered at Wac Arts every Sunday to explore Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form with a rich heritage, under the expert guidance of skilled Akademi artist, Anekha Pillai. The Artistic Direction was provided by our Artistic Director, Suba Subramaniam, and Anekha was supported in delivery by Rajeswari Ramaswamy.

The project culminated in a final public performance on Friday 21st November at the Old Town Hall, attended by an audience of approximately 70 people.

Session structure

Each workshop was carefully designed to be welcoming and accessible. Sessions began with light refreshments and informal time for participants to connect and settle into the space, fostering a sense of community from the outset. Following this, facilitators introduced the session focus and led physical warm-up activities to prepare participants for movement.

In the early weeks, participants were guided through structured choreographed routines, learning key Bharatanatyam movements including mudras (hand gestures), light footwork, and expressive postures.

As confidence grew in the later weeks, participants were invited to take a more creative role, devising their own movement sequences inspired by both Bharatanatyam and other dance styles. This collaborative, co-creative approach was central to the intergenerational ethos of the project.

“The space created by Anekha and staff was incredibly friendly, inclusive, and thoughtfully held. As a newcomer to dance and an ethnic minority participant, I felt welcomed and comfortable from the start.”

Intergenerational dance project participant

Impact and outcome

The project successfully brought together 11 participants of different ages, creating meaningful intergenerational connections through shared creative practice. Participants developed new skills in dancing while also sharing their own movement backgrounds, resulting in a rich, collaborative final performance.

The free-to-attend model ensured the project was accessible to all, removing barriers to participation and enabling people from the local community who might not otherwise engage with dance to take part.

The final performance at the Old Town Hall provided participants with a meaningful goal to work towards, as well as a public platform to share their achievements with family, friends, and the wider community.

“Thank you all so very much for this very special opportunity for reconnecting the generations to explore and express and create together stories in movement, stories in celebration of life.”

Intergenerational dance project participant

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