Move Dance Feel: Online dance sessions for women affected by cancer

Move Dance Feel, a community dance project for women affected by cancer, has developed a free online offering which is open to women at any stage in their cancer journey, pre, during or post treatment. The dance sessions also invite participation from women who are supporting someone with cancer. 

Move Dance Feel was established in 2016 by dance artist and producer Emily Jenkins, who has worked within participatory dance for over ten years and has specialised in the area of dance and health, with a particular interest in the relationship between creativity and wellbeing.

Jenkins, a Winston Churchill Fellow, has conducted two research studies alongside Move Dance Feel which have revealed some of the benefits of dance in the context of cancer diagnosis and recovery including the alleviation of feelings of stress and anxiety, improved body confidence, enhanced wellbeing and the combatting of cancer-related fatigue.

Due to the circumstances surrounding Covid-19, the cancer support centres in which the project is usually situated (in London and Bristol) have closed. No longer restricted by geographical location, the dance sessions can now bring women together online from across the UK and other parts of Europe.

Move Dance Feel is currently running dance sessions every Friday morning which are free of charge. To date 10 weeks of online sessions have been delivered and feedback has been very positive:

It’s 40 minutes of joy and freedom. Just the right level for me. I don’t feel pressured, and I don’t strain my body. Lovely warming up, connecting with my body and with the flow of movement.

I really enjoy the sessions. Living in Cornwall and able to join such a class is amazing. To have online classes available all the time not just during the current pandemic would really help people like me that live far away from any Centres to connect with.

I experienced an opening up – a healing valuable release.

Participants can register here:
www.movedancefeel.com/events-listings/move-dance-feel-online-sessions

To learn more about the work of Move Dance Feel visit
www.movedancefeel.com