Dance can provide us with a deeper connection to our own humanity.

I’ll start with a quote from the renowned Anna Halprin, a pioneer in the field of dance as a healing art for people with cancer –

As I continued teaching, it became apparent that the experiences of movement connected to feelings generate long-buried and unknown emotions and images. When these emotions and images are expressed through movement, we dance. And when these dances are connected to our lives, they bring dramatic releases and change in our will to live.

I’ll be offering a Dance in Cancer Care project very soon in partnership with Made with Many and NSport.

After undertaking the wonderfully informative and inspiring ‘Dance in Cancer Care’ training in Bristol back in 2021 with Move Dance Feel – I knew I had embarked on a quest of reclamation. Yes, I knew that dance can heal, support and nurture the mind and body – I’ve been working in the field of dance for health and well-being for 20 years. BUT, this was new territory for me, and one that came from an inner intuition that felt right to explore.

Dance can help those affected by cancer to feel supported, connected and creative through cultivating a mind-body connection. In this post, I will briefly touch on so what exactly is a dance that supports those affected by cancer. I may delve a little further another time, so keep those eyes peeled

Dance and movement isn’t just ballet, ballroom or street dance for example, many people seem to shy away from dance because of this association and the belief that you have to be agile, fit, coordinated and so on. However, dance can be approached differently, freely and authentically that suit the individual regardless of experience and other factors such as age and physicality. It doesn’t have to be graceful and pretty, it can be clumsy and sometimes conflicted – and that’s okay too! You can move together or alone. It’s to engage the whole person through therapeutic techniques such as guided imagery, breathing exercises, improvisation and exploring varied dance/movement techniques. It can be fun, but also emotional and free’ing. It can be restful yet dynamic. There is power in the community when people take risks to show themselves and their illness, and the community responds with loving support…always

I will pause for now. Life is busy. So if you are curious and wish to find out more or to get involved, please reach out to me. The project will be starting May 2023 all going well 🙂

Warm wishes

Tina x

Art by @clarehaxby