Daisy Garrett – Independent Artist
Dancer, Artist and Advocate
Daisy Garrett is a professional dance artist and a long-standing member of Anjali Dance Company.
Daisy has been performing professionally with Anjali since 2010 and has developed a career spanning performance, international touring, education, outreach and advocacy. She is an experienced performer who has worked with leading choreographers and artists and has performed at major venues and festivals across the UK and internationally.
Daisy is passionate about demonstrating the creative potential of learning-disabled artists and believes that everyone should have the opportunity to discover what they can achieve through dance.
A Professional Dance Career
Since joining the company, Daisy has become an established professional performer and has worked with internationally recognised choreographers including Gary Clarke and Lea Anderson.
Her work with Anjali has included major productions, commissions and international performances, giving her the opportunity to perform across the UK and internationally.
Daisy was part of Anjali’s acclaimed Genius double bill, performing work by Gary Clarke and Lea Anderson. The production toured nationally and internationally, including performances in Mexico and Spain.
In 2017, Daisy performed The Reflection, a duet choreographed by Aya Kobayashi, alongside Hannah Dempsey as part of Anjali’s presentation at an international Arts and Disability seminar in Mexico City. The performance received a standing ovation and Anjali was subsequently invited to return to Mexico for further festival activity.
Daisy has also been part of Anjali’s international collaborative work, including El Movimiento, a reciprocal digital collaboration between Anjali and DaDance in Mexico and Peru. The project brought together learning-disabled dancers from both organisations to develop a series of short dance films.
Daisy Garrett in Reflection
Daisy Garrett in Bloodsuckers
Daisy Garrett, Speaking at Anjali Dance, Develop, Perform in Banbury.
“Some people don’t believe that people with learning disabilities can be excellent. I don’t agree.“
Daisy Garrett teaching a community class
Daisy Garrett performing at Birmingham Disability Festival 2026
Beyond the Stage
Daisy’s work extends beyond performance.
She is an experienced workshop leader and has been part of Anjali’s Education and Outreach team, co-teaching workshops and residencies with people of different ages and abilities.
She has also become an important voice in conversations about disability, dance and inclusion. Daisy has spoken at conferences and public events, sharing her experiences of developing a professional career as a learning-disabled dance artist and advocating for greater opportunities for people with learning disabilities in the arts.
Her recent activity has included delivering talks for Active Oxfordshire’s Tackling Inequality event, Birmingham Disability Festival and at Frank Wise School, as well as supporting Young Anjali’s DDP activity. She has also contributed to the CANVAS project at Derby Theatre.
Through this work, Daisy demonstrates the wider role that professional learning-disabled artists can play within the cultural sector — as performers, teachers, advocates, role models and creative voices.
Developing Her Own Creative Voice
Daisy’s practice is rooted in her experience as a professional dancer and in the opportunities she has had to make creative choices within Anjali’s work.
She has previously created and explored her own choreography and is now developing a new solo work that will form part of her wider practice as an advocate and speaker. The work is being developed through the East Midlands Dance Artist Network Mentoring Programme 2026/27, supporting Daisy to explore her ideas, develop her creative voice and take the next steps in her artistic practice.
For Daisy, having the opportunity to make creative choices has always been an important part of her relationship with dance. Her practice is informed by her lived experience and her understanding of dance as a way to express herself, connect with other people and share her story.
The development of this new solo represents an exciting next step for Daisy as an independent artist, bringing together her experience as a performer with her growing role as a creative practitioner, advocate and speaker.
Her experience reflects Anjali’s approach to supporting learning-disabled dancers as artists rather than simply as participants. Anjali’s dancers are central to the creative process, contributing their individuality, ideas and lived experience to the development of the work.
An Artist and Role Model
Daisy’s career demonstrates what is possible when learning-disabled artists are given the opportunity, time and support to develop professional skills and artistic careers.
She is passionate about challenging assumptions about disability and about showing audiences the talent, creativity and individuality of learning-disabled artists.
Her experience also gives her a valuable perspective when working with other people. Through workshops, talks and outreach, Daisy is able to share not only her skills as a dancer but her experience of developing a professional career in the arts.
For Daisy, dance is a way of expressing creativity, connecting with people and demonstrating possibilities.
She is an important part of Anjali’s ongoing commitment to creating professional pathways for learning-disabled artists and to changing perceptions of who can be a professional artist.
Daisy Garrett
Want to Get Involved?
We are interested in connecting Daisy with people and organisations who want to support, develop or collaborate with learning-disabled artists.
We welcome enquiries from funders, producers, venues, artists, creative collaborators, organisations, commissioners, partners, educators and anyone interested in Daisy’s work.
Whether you would like to explore a performance opportunity, workshop or residency, invite Daisy to speak or contribute to an event, develop a creative collaboration, support her artistic development, or explore opportunities for her to share her experience and expertise, we would love to hear from you.
Get in touch: info@anjali.co.uk