Mixed Ability Dance

DanceAbility

This work is a celebration and exploration of the human body in movement and the diverse landscapes that can be created by individual bodies, while at the same time questioning our preconceptions and the need to label people.

Through its Artistic Director Fernanda Amaral, Patuá Dance works with the techniques of DanceAbility, with a mission to encourage the evolution and performance of dance and to cultivate a "common ground" that allows all individuals to develop creatively, regardless of abilities or disabilities, and to help eliminate the prejudice that inhibits artistic and cultural diversity through performance, communication and education.

DanceAbility is a dance method accessible to all people. Workshops use improvised dance to promote equality, respect and artistic exploration between people both with and without disabilities. Through experiencing movement together, misconceptions or prejudices that people with or without disabilities might have about themselves and each other are uprooted. Workshops provide a supportive atmosphere for attitudes to change and dance horizons to expand.

"We are All in the Same Boat!"

Over the last 8 years, Patuá Dance has run many successful mixed abilities projects for many different communities in schools and dance festivals.

"We are All in the Same Boat!" brought together 160 young people from different age groups, abilities and backgrounds from six schools from Cardiff, Penarth and Newport, in a colourful performance where they danced (some in wheelchairs), sang and told their own maritime stories, performing at the Wales Millennium Centre and the Riverfront Centre, Newport with their vibrant costumes, energetic music and dance.

Bringing Mixed Ability Dance to Chapter

Patuá Dance has been based in Chapter Arts Centre, a leading contemporary venue in Wales, for over 13 years and has formed a close working relationship with Chapter, aiming to bring together new audiences, participants and members from diverse abilities and backgrounds. In the autumn of 2007, Patuá Dance ran a 14-day mixed ability dance research project in collaboration with Chapter, working with professional and non-professional dancers, culminating in a well received open work-in-progress performance.

This project was a pilot project for future adult mixed ability projects and the company will be preparing a new mixed dance performance to tour Wales during the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009.

Rehearsals for Patua Dance's 2007 DanceAbility collaboration with Chapter Arts Centre

Excerpt from DanceAbility performance in Chapter Arts Centre

The company has also established its position as a leading provider in the field of mixed ability arts work with performances in other leading venues, including the Wales Millennium Centre and the Riverfront Centre, Newport.

Bringing Mixed Ability Dance to Rhondda Cynon Taf

Fernanda Amaral recently conducted a very successful workshop for Disability Arts Week at the Muni Arts Centre, as part of the Rhondda Cynon Taf's Cultural Services programme, receiving praise for her work.

"Firstly, may I congratulate you and thank you ... The feedback was phenomenal and every participant and parent enjoyed themselves immensely."
— Lowri-Mair Owen, Project Coordinator

Comments from the workshop:
"It was great to see my child dancing for such a long time and integrating with other children."

"My son normally doesn't keep his attention on any activity for this long. It was wonderful to see him so happy."

"It was great to see how everyone could take part in this dance workshop using their abilities."
— Youth worker

Bringing Mixed Ability Dance to Brazil

In the 5th Ciclo Multicultural do Centro da Cultura Judaica in São Paulo, Fernanda Amaral's conducted a series of very popular and successful mixed-ability workshops, demonstrations and open classes, gathering groups from a mixture of Brazilian charitable organisations for special-needs children and adults, people who live in the streets as well as the general public, who had heard about the event through the extensive media coverage the festival generated.

Fernanda Amaral was part of the festival's final celebration, creating a big celebration in her traditional style in which all members of the public danced together! To begin with, Fernanda led an open air DanceAbility style performance with a group of adults with mixed-abilities and the "audience" of adults and children from homeless groups, pupils from poor and private schools, and the general public joining spontaneously in the performance until it was dificult to tell who were the performers and who was the audience!

This was followed up by one of Fernanda's acclaimed open-air workshops for everyone present with live music from three Brazilian musicians, filling the open air performance space with music and dance.

Artistic Director Fernanda Amaral

As the Artistic Director and founder of Patuá Dance, Fernanda Amaral has led and choreographed dance/movement sessions for over 20 years, working with people from a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. She has developed a methodology in which she encourages everyone, regardless of their ability or background, to work together, to encourage them to stretch their vocabulary and ability.

Over the last 6 years, Fernanda has initiated and directed numerous projects and performances, often involving large numbers of young people with many different abilities and backgrounds. She believes that there is no right or wrong way to wiggle — the importance is to wiggle!

Fernanda trained with Alito Alessi in Argentina and the USA, in order to extend her teaching qualifications as a DanceAbility teacher. Fernanda also holds an Honours degree in Education from Cardiff University.

Please visit DanceAbility International for more information.

If you are interested in booking this work and taking part, or you would like to discuss this further, our contact details are supplied below.