Moving Together: How Plymouth Dance is Bringing Communities to Life

Plymouth Dance is a cornerstone of the city's dance community, championing inclusivity, creativity, and social change through movement. Since its relaunch in 2024, the organisation has reignited its mission to connect, create, and celebrate dance across Plymouth.

With a strong leadership team and a dedicated network of dance practitioners, Plymouth Dance delivers impactful citywide projects, engaging young people, individuals with SEND, and communities facing deprivation. Their work not only provides access to high-quality dance experiences but also fosters confidence, resilience, and well-being. As a vital partner in the Let’s Dance Plymouth campaign, Plymouth Dance plays a crucial role in amplifying the city's vibrant dance culture and ensuring that dance remains accessible to all.

Plymouth Dance was first set up in 2007 and delivered citywide projects, including Plymouth Dance Explosion and Tea Dances with a Twist! The company closed at the end of July 2022, due to a lack of funding. However, due to demand, we reopened in April 2024.

Plymouth Dance connects, creates and celebrates dance in the city with compassion and integrity.

Our mission is to use dance to inclusively engage people and communities within Plymouth and the surrounding areas. With compassion and integrity, we connect, create, and celebrate dance by delivering citywide partnership projects.

Using dance as a vehicle, we holistically nourish, enrich and empower social change.

Plymouth Dance is run by a leadership team of 4 - Beth Tiner, Anneliese Kesteven, Kaitlyn Howlett and June Gamble - with a freelance team of at least 12 dance practitioners, delivering the programme of activities.

We are currently delivering workshops and after school clubs at Primary Schools across the city, as well as running weekly inclusive sessions for young people.

iMove is a weekly session on Friday’s 5.00pm - 6.00pm at Oxford House Creative Hub. It is a Community Dance session for individuals who identify as SEND with ages 12+ attending the group. 

Credit: Plymouth Dance

Awaken Youth Dance is a weekly dance session in which young people aged 11-19 (up to 25 with disabilities) from areas of deprivation across Plymouth come together to ignite and upskill their passion for dance while building confidence, improve mental health and build transferable skills. These engaging sessions take place at the University of Plymouth every Monday (term time only) from 6.00pm - 7.00pm, providing the opportunity to experience dance practice in a higher education setting. Awaken Youth Dance uses dance to foster resilience, independence, and social connections in a supportive, nourishing environment. 

Credit: Plymouth Dance

In addition, we are funded by Street Games for HAF and Plymouth City Council for Fit and Fed school holiday programmes.

Over the coming months, again, due to demand, we are planning to launch new community classes for Primary aged children - so, watch this space.

For more information regarding our work, please visit www.plymouthdance.team and/or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

We also voluntarily manage a Facebook Group @DanceInPlymouth where we share information regarding local, regional and national dance opportunities, performances, jobs, etc. that may be of interest to those engaged with dance in the city.

Plymouth Dance is excited to be part of the Let’s Dance Plymouth Campaign and to have the opportunity to work with other dance artists, companies/organisations to raise awareness of all the amazing dance on offer across the city.

Historically, Plymouth has a rich and vibrant history of dance of which we are proud to be a part of.