Creative Soul Dance – a weekly adult wellbeing dance session using contemporary dance and other styles and taught by experienced professional dancers. The class is suitable for those who have never danced, alongside those with a little more dance experience. We have welcomed participants from across the demographic of Battersea and Nine Elms with an age-range of 20s – 80s. It’s focused on a joyful and relaxing experience – not on ‘getting things right’. The movement is gentle and the teachers ensure those with more restricted mobility or health issues can participate fully and safely. We have a health questionnaire that we ask participants to complete. The dance sessions, which use different well-being enhancing themes, are just over an hour, including a meditative ‘cool-down’ and followed by refreshments and a chance to reflect on the session and chat with others over refreshments.
Where and When? Tuesdays in term-time 11am-12.30pm at The ROSE Community Club Room, Ascalon Street SW8 and Wednesdays in term-time 7-8.30pm at St Mary’s Primary School, Battersea Exchange
Feedback
We consistently get feedback that rates the sessions ‘Excellent’ – and uses words and phrases such as ‘joyful’ ‘fantastic’ highlight of my week’ Participants tell us that the classes help reduce stress and anxiety and make them feel happier, more relaxed and more connected to the community.
Here is a link to a short interview with one participant https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y3ori0oZexQ
Our programmes would work best for those experiencing some level of isolation or social anxiety those who would benefit from mindful, creative activities as part of support for anxiety or low-level depression and those needing gentle exercise to improve mobility and help weight loss. Priority give to residents with SW11 or SW8 postcodes but other Wandsworth residents can be referred