Cheshire Dance provides excellent dance experiences for schools where young people and staff are encouraged to create, learn and develop.  Our approach is inclusive and person-centred, and our artists are passionate about delivering creative and engaging dance.

Cheshire Dance is a recommended dance provider by Cheshire West, Chester and Cheshire East Councils. Cheshire Dance is also recognised nationally for its training offer for artists and teachers. We ensure that a high-quality dance offer contributes to young people’s social, emotional, physical, and cultural development.

Cheshire Dance is an Artsmark partner and can support your school to gain Artsmark accreditation by providing high quality arts activity in line with the Artsmark framework.

At Cheshire Dance, we are proud to work with schools to deliver:

• Cross Curricular Dance – using dance to enhance kinaesthetic learning, promoting creative thinking alongside critical thinking to deepen students’ understanding in topic work. Examples of successful cross curricular dance projects Cheshire Dance has delivered within schools include:
  • Digital identity
  • Literacy (exploring the work of specific authors and enhancing vocabulary and attainment)
  • Numeracy
  • Science and Nature (Magnets, The Water Cycle, conservation and Sustainable Palm Oil)
  • History & heritage (including Romans and Egyptians)
  • Geography (Brazil, South America, Africa, India – exploring world dance styles.)

• Inset Days & Professional Development for Teachers – providing practical tools for engaging children in dance and movement and sharing accessible learning strategies that apply to to all abilities, ages, and those with SEN/disabilities.
• Residential Workshops – delivering on the theme of a school’s residential and building towards a performance to be presented at the end of the residential.
• Support for curriculum design and development (including school improvement plans) and guidance on adding value to current frameworks in line with OFSTED including increasing ‘cultural capital’ through our ‘world dance’ offer.

Cheshire Dance can offer a wide variety of dance styles including:

• Contemporary
• Street & urban forms, including Break Dance
• World dance styles (African, Capoeira, Brazilian, Indian, etc.)
• Creative (choreography, improvisation, storytelling amongst others.)
• Cross Curriculum

We can deliver:

• Full day workshops
• Half day workshops
• Regular PPA or curriculum time sessions
• On residentials and longer projects

We can provide half term, full term or year-long programmes for schools.  This may involve working with different year groups each term, working towards a performance, or providing a yearlong cross-curriculum dance programme for one- or two-year groups.   At Cheshire Dance we pride ourselves on creating bespoke projects that cater to schools varying needs.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you’d like to discuss this further.

Costings

Full day (up to 6 hours) – £300
Half day (up to 3 hours) – £175

Our Dance Artists

Our artists are highly trained and experienced in performance and teaching practices and our practitioners can deliver to all ages and abilities/disabilities. Each of our artists have a full DBS and are trained in dance specific safeguarding and best practice.

Why Dance?

• Dance increases cardiovascular activity, improves strength, flexibility, balance, and stamina.
• Dance can develop the ability to communicate ideas effectively—both verbally and in movement.
• Dance is a key element of self-expression and allows a growing awareness of one’s physical self
• It improves cognitive functions with movement creating a link between a problem or idea to an outcome or solution. Thus, it can progress classroom learning and provide a platform for creative & critical thinking.
• Dance promotes sociability through working together and celebrating within the community; it can heighten resilience and boost positive mental health.
• Dance is an effective way to engage all ages, abilities, and genders.

Cheshire Dance is part of Cheshire West and Chester LCEP (Local Cultural Education Partnerships) which aims to provide all children and young people in the area, access to high quality arts and cultural experiences. Cheshire Dance is also proud to be an Artsmark Partner, supporting educational settings to embed arts and creativity across the curriculum and working to enrich pupil’s cultural education.

Check out latest initiative with schools in Cheshire, titled “Crossing Point”

And more broadly our work with Children and Young People

And What’s On for Children and Young People 

For more information, please contact us at: josie@cheshiredance.org

"We have loved having Cheshire Dance in school. They are professional and understanding and are constantly providing unique ways to bring dance to life in school!"
Head Teacher

"He really enjoyed his time doing the dance and it made a real difference so thank you!"
(About at 1:1 session at Ancora House)

Dance and Schools