GDance helps five-year-old Charlotte’s dance dream come true
Gloucester-based GDance
is proud to be working with 5-year old Charlotte
Bottger, helping her to realise her ballet ‘dream’.
Charlotte, from Gloucestershire, who appears in ITV’s documentary
series ‘What Would Be Your Miracle’
on 12 May 2016, has cerebral palsy and wants to dance.
In the programme, she is taken by TV presenter Emma Willis to get
a taste of her ‘miracle’ with Royal Ballet stars at The Royal Opera House in London
Her ballet dream is being supported by GDance which has been
working with Charlotte’s parents and other local disabled children, providing
workshops where they can shine along with non-disabled children.
“What they did for Charlotte
at The Royal Ballet was great but, when I saw the way GDance was working with
her, I realised Charlotte can dance in her own right”
GDance, which specialises in inclusive dance practice, is leading
a national research project developing new approaches to teaching that makes
ballet more accessible for disabled children.
Partners are: Linda Virgoe Dance Studios in Quedgeley,
professional company Ballet Cymru and The Royal Academy of Dance.
In the last few months, 7 disabled and non-disabled children,
including Charlotte , met at Linda Virgoe’s
studios in Gloucester for a half-term course led
by internationally renowned dance researcher Jurg Koch from Switzerland
On the final day, the children shared what they had learnt with a
Dance Lecturer and Head of Examinations at the Royal Academy of Dance, Chair of
the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and Deputy Artistic Director of
Ballet Cymru.
An online film resource is now being produced that will help give
dance teachers throughout the UK ideas and confidence to include disabled
children in their classes.
National research suggests
very few physically disabled children are accessing dance. GDance secured
investment from Arts Council England and Summerfield Charitable Trust to help
change this in Gloucestershire.
Director of GDance Cath
Wilkins said: “Dance isn’t just about the
Royal Ballet. Nor is it just about exercise. It’s something anyone can do and
it touches the soul.
“Charlotte is a disabled child who wants to dance – and why
shouldn’t she? Many of the disabled
professionals we work with are equally, if not more, talented than their
non-disabled peers.
“Charlotte has become a trailblazer and we’re very proud to be
working with her. The UK dance sector
needs a new generation of talented, diverse performers!”
GDance is also contributing to
discussions to make dance more accessible convened by Nick Gibb, Minister of
State at the Department for Education.
For more information, please
contact Cath Wilkins, Director, on 01452-550 431 / cath@gdance.co.uk
or visit www.gdance.co.uk.
Ends
Editor’s Notes:
About GDance
§
GDance is a production company
specialising in inclusive practice, with a local and national strategic remit
§
The organisation is based at
Colwell Arts Centre, Derby Road ,
Gloucester GL1 4AD
§
GDance produces professional
live and filmed dance performance led by and featuring disabled artists and
leads positive change in the sector through legacy, research and network
projects
§
GDance leads, alongside People
Dancing in Leicester , the Dance for Change
network of 200+ which works to make the national dance sector more inclusive of
disabled people
§
GDance also partners with Art
Shape (www.artshape.co.uk) to make the arts sector in Gloucestershire more
inclusive of disabled people
§
It is a registered charity,
supported by Arts Council England and other funding bodies
§
For more information, call
Director Cath Wilkins at GDance 01452 550 431 or
e-mail cath@gdance.co.uk
e-mail cath@gdance.co.uk
About Charlotte Bottger
§
Charlotte, who lives in Slimbridge,
Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy
§
Her parents raised £60K to
enable Charlotte to have an operation in the US and to support her after-care
About Jurg Koch, Researcher
§
Switzerland based Jurg has been working internationally as a performer,
choreographer and dance educator over 15 years
§
He trained in Amsterdam
and London and has an MA from London Contemporary Dance School
§
He is a former dancer with
international touring company Candoco Dance who integrate disabled and
non-disabled professional dancers
§
From 2004-14 he was a
professor for the University
of Washington
About Linda Virgoe Dance Studio
§
Linda Virgoe Dance Studios provides dance and fitness classes
for all ages and abilities, including ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance,
through to singing lessons, drama and gymnastics
§
It is a Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) and an Imperial
Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Approved Dance Centre
§
The
Studio also runs the only vocational Academy in Gloucestershire for talented
students, age 16+, who want a career in dance or the performing arts
§
The studio is based in Quedgeley, Gloucester
§
For more information, contact Linda Virgoe on 01452 722 771 / 07900 178 699 / lindadaffurn4@btinternet.com, or go to: http://www.lindavirgoedancestudio.co.uk/
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