Dance United

Dance United works with those who are marginalised in society and whose potential is often unrecognised or unfulfilled. Contemporary dance training and performance of the highest quality has the power to unlock this potential. Dance United delivers work that is tough, tightly-focused and highly disciplined. It reaches the hard-to-reach.

Case study  - Tania’s Story

Tania was referred to Dance United’s Academy by the Head Teacher of her school after it was decided to exclude her for extremely aggressive behaviour.  Coming from a well-known estate in Hackney with numerous gang problems, it was judged that Tania’s exclusion could put her at considerable risk of offending and that it would be advisable for her to be engaged in a programme where she could be supervised and kept busy.

She arrived at the Academy completely uninterested in everything. She was rude, unresponsive, intimidating, aggressive, non-communicative - she didn't give eye contact and never smiled.  She made up excuses to gain attention and sit out.  She featured regularly on the disciplinary register due to the disrespect she showed staff, her rudeness, and her refusal to follow instructions or adhere to the code of conduct.  She was also involved in some bullying incidents.  Eventually she was put on a behaviour contract - the final warning before being asked to leave the project.

Gradually, a different side of Tania began to surface. Little by little, she lowered her defences and started to genuinely care about the project and people involved; she spoke articulately on the last day about how she now understood why she had been excluded from school so she could come to Dance United, and how it had now come full circle and her experience with Dance United was enabling her to go back to school.

Tania is currently being reintegrated back into school and the Head Teacher is astonished by the positive transformation in her attitude and behaviour.

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