NEWS

On Monday 16th September 2024 I spent the day with Anjali dance company, where I had  the opportunity to observe a day in their life.  I am currently in my third year on the BA (Hons) Dance degree at  De Montfort University in Leicester. Before starting my degree, my dance experience was predominantly in classical Ballet, Tap and Modern Jazz, and I now have a growing knowledge of contemporary practices through my training.

Growing up I came from a small town where I feel diversity wasn’t often celebrated, and as a result, this has inspired me to be more understanding of inclusivity and accessibility within the arts. How can differences be celebrated?

 When I discovered Anjali they seemed to be a company with morals and a mission that aligned with my beliefs. I was keen to meet the dancers and immerse myself in the studio, to learn and consider how working with adults with learning differences might further inform my future development as a dance artist.

The time I spent in the studio allowed me to learn in abundance. The dance artist, Lexy, worked with the dancers so democratically, and the respect between them and her created a positive and encouraging atmosphere. She was able to meet the needs of the dancers, particularly by bringing visual elements to some spatial exercises, and these added clarity to the outcomes and another layer of engagement and excitement in the room.  

In one task Lexy added string across the studio to make the dancers consider changing levels in a short travelling sequence. Before this they weren’t using the floor as much as when the string was put into the space. I had not thought before about using visual prompts in the studio to support learning in this way, and so it gave me something new to take away.

There were many highlights of the day and one that stands out for me was when worked on a choreography task with one of the dancers. When starting the exercise, they were unsure of how to respond to the ideas presented and were becoming increasingly frustrated. I gave some ideas and guidance and we worked together to build a phrase which formed a basis on which they could add their own style. With the added confidence this dancer ended up including much of their own artistic flare that a much more expressive character shone through.

To conclude, my time with Anjali has taught me so much and I am very grateful to have met the dancers and worked with some of the creative team, who support them in making incredible art. The company create such a wonderful atmosphere and environment for the dancers, and enable them to present themselves and their talents in a positive light.