An opportunity has arisen for someone to gain valuable experience within a leading community dance company working with children, young people and older adults.

At Green Candle we believe in providing professional development opportunities and experiences for dance artists new to the field, or looking to enhance their knowledge.

We are currently looking for a Participation and Communications Volunteer to join our team for the Spring term 2019. This is a unique chance for an artist to gain practical learning and leadership skills in the community arts. We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual who can assist in the delivery of weekly sessions for a variety of groups, and support the office with communications and general administrative support.

This role is suitable for those interested in developing skills working with children and young people and older people. The successful applicant will assist classes led by the Green Candle team at our home in Bethnal Green as well as in a variety of settings in the community that may include care homes, day centres, nursing homes and schools.

The volunteer will need to be available on Tuesdays and Fridays consistently throughout the Spring term, which runs from week commencing Tuesday 15^th January – 12^th April 2019

The opportunity to assist will offer the successful volunteer the chance to experience dance delivery in a variety of contexts. Due to the nature of the environment where our dance sessions take place, we expect our volunteers to be open-minded and have a warm, friendly persona. Because the successful applicant will be working with children and vulnerable adults, they must hold a current enhanced DBS certificate. This is an unpaid position; however, the Company will cover travel expenses within London.

If you are interested in volunteering with us, please send your CV and a covering letter outlining your reason for applying to vicki@greencandledance.com or call 0207 739 7722 for more information.  Please state ‘Participation & Communications Volunteer’ as the subject of your email.

Application deadline: 12 noon Friday 25^th January 2019

Interviews: Friday 1st February by invitation only at Oxford House, Bethnal Green, London, E2 6HG.

We are also looking for volunteers to help with our Remember to Dance sessions in Tower Hamlets on Fridays.  Find out more and apply

Find out what it’s like to volunteer for us from some of our past volunteers

We are looking for two Volunteer Dance Assistants to join our team for the Spring term 2018.          

An opportunity has arisen for  two individuals to gain valuable experience within a leading community dance company. We are seeking enthusiastic and motivated people who can assist in the delivery of our weekly ‘Remember to Dance’ sessions at Oxford House in Bethnal Green – a dance and live music programme specifically for people with early-mid stage dementia and their carers or companions.  Find out more about Remember to Dance.

These roles are suitable for those interested in developing skills working with people with dementia and are a unique chance for artists to gain practical learning and leadership skills in the community arts.

At Green Candle we believe in providing professional development opportunities and experiences for dance artists new to the field, or looking to enhance their knowledge.

The volunteers will need to be available on Fridays from 9.30am-12.30pm consistently throughout the Spring term, which runs from Friday 18th January 2019 to Friday 5th April

Due to the nature of the environment where our dance sessions take place, we expect our volunteers to be open-minded and have a warm, friendly persona. Because the successful applicants will be working with vulnerable adults, they must hold a current enhanced DBS certificate. This is an unpaid position; however, we will cover travel expenses within London.

If you are interested in applying to become one of our volunteers, please send your CV and a covering letter outlining your reason for applying to vicki@greencandledance.com or call 0207 739 7722 for more information.  Please state ‘Volunteer Assistant – Remember to Dance’ as the subject of your email.

Application deadline: 12 noon Friday 21^st December 2018

Interviews: Tuesday 8th January 2019 by invitation only at Oxford House, Bethnal Green, London, E2 6HG.

Start date:  Friday 18th January 2019

We are also looking for a new Participation and Communications volunteer for the spring term 2019. Find out more and apply

Watch a video below from two of our previous volunteers to find out what it’s like volunteering with us:

October 2018 saw the start of our Diploma in Leading Dance for Older People – our Level 3 OCNLR Accredited Course. The course is comprised of 13 units over six intensive study weekends. It also requires a minimum of ten hours per week private study. Tutorial support is also available and participants  complete a detailed placement portfolio.

This course provides an understanding of how to lead safe, effective and enjoyable dance and movement work with older people and provides a balance between three main areas – theory, dance and movement work by participants and actual practice with older people.

During the first two weekends of this year’s course, the students covered the following units:

• ‘Understanding well-being in older people’
• ‘Planning a dance session for older people’
• ‘Health, Safety and welfare in a dance session’
• ‘Planning a warm-up for a dance session for older people’

They also took part in practical dance sessions incorporating technique and did some work on preparing and choreographing a solo piece.

Listen to feedback from some of our current students about the course so far:

At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate the basic practical requirements for running a dance session
• apply relevant anatomical and physiological information – both general and with specific reference to ageing
• understand some of the psychological effects of ageing and have positive strategies for dealing with these
• demonstrate the ability to structure dance sessions
• define the physical imperatives – flexibility, dexterity, strength and cardiovascular fitness – and be able to use various safe and effective approaches to achieving them
• use various paths to creativity in older people’s dancing
• use with confidence different choreographic approaches
• use appropriate music for dance sessions
• select music for choreographic purposes
• identify the different broad categories older people fall into – active elderly, people with age-related conditions, people with dementia etc. – and be able to demonstrate appropriate strategies for them
• apply different teaching and learning strategies

If you would like to register your interest for next year’s intake for The Diploma in Leading Dance for Older People, please call 0207 739 7722 or email suzanne@greencandledance.com 

On 16th October 2018, we waved farewell to our lovely participants at Chichester House in Brentwood, Essex.

For 12 weeks, we ran weekly dance sessions on Tuesday mornings for the residents of Chichester House, Victoria Court and Danbury House – a group of retirement flats in Brentwood.

Our classes gave the residents the opportunity to participate in free, fun, weekly dance sessions and to exercise and socialise with friends.  We received nothing but positive feedback from all the participants and they were very sad to see us go:

“Wonderful teachers. We enjoy every week.  Apart from keeping fit, it is a very good chance to socialise.  Long may it continue!”

“We all look forward to Tuesday, we have a wonderful time”

“I enjoy the exercises every week and I do benefit from them”

“I have had a bad stroke and I really look forward to the workout with Vicki and Emma”

We had a great time running these sessions at Chichester House and we hope to get back there soon!

A big thanks to our partners Brentwood Borough Council and Essex County Council who  commissioned a short film about the project.

Watch the film below

We thought it was time we gave our Senior Dance Company a bit of a revamp so we’ve given them a new name!  From now on, the Green Candle Senior Dance Company will be known as:

Spinoff – A Dance Company for over 55s

Everything else about the dance company remains the same – the times of classes, location, contact details and it is still FREE for Tower Hamlets residents.

Spinoff will start back for the Autumn term on Tuesday 11th of September and we are looking for new members for the company so we would love to see some new faces too!

Here’s a few more details:

WHAT? Standing active dance sessions with optional public performances each term
WHEN? Every Tuesday from 10.30 to 12.30 during term time
WHO? Open to men and women over 55, no experience necessary, everyone welcome!
WHERE? Dance Studio at Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, E2 6HG
HOW MUCH? FREE for residents of Tower Hamlets, £15 for the term for non Tower Hamlets residents, but come along to a FREE taster session.
HOW TO JOIN? Contact Vicki Busfield on 020 7739 7722

These weekly dance sessions for older people are designed to develop each individuals’ skills using a variety of creative contemporary dance styles in a fun and supportive environment.

The sessions aim to provide an opportunity for participants to meet and socialise with other like minded people whilst gaining the physical and mental health benefits associated with dance activities. We provide a friendly but focused atmosphere to enable participants to work on improving their dance skills both technically and choreographically, with the hope of enabling a personally satisfying and enjoyable experience that gives a boost to participants’ self-confidence and self-esteem.

If you are interested in coming along to a free taster session, please contact Vicki Busfield on 020 7739 7722

We look forward to seeing you there!

Find out more information about Spinoff

We are looking for a Volunteer Dance Assistant to join our team for the Autumn term 2018.

An opportunity has arisen for an individual to gain valuable experience within a leading community dance company. We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated person who can assist in the delivery of our weekly ‘Remember to Dance’ sessions at Oxford House in Bethnal Green – a dance and live music programme specifically for people with early-mid stage dementia and their carers or companions.

This role is suitable for those interested in developing skills working with people with dementia and is a unique chance for an artist to gain practical learning and leadership skills in the community arts.

At Green Candle we believe in providing professional development opportunities and experiences for dance artists new to the field, or looking to enhance their knowledge.

The candidate will need to be available on Fridays from 9.30am-12.30pm consistently throughout the Autumn term, which runs from Friday 14th September to Friday 14th December.

Due to the nature of the environment where our dance sessions take place, we expect the candidate to be open-minded and have a warm, friendly persona. Because the successful applicant will be working with vulnerable adults, they must hold a current enhanced DBS certificate. This is an unpaid position; however, we will cover travel expenses within London.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your CV and a covering letter outlining your reason for applying to vicki@greencandledance.com with ‘Remember to Dance Assistant’ as your subject header or call 0207 739 7722 for more information.

Application deadline: 12 noon Friday 31st August 2018
Interviews: Friday 7th September 2018 by invitation only at Oxford House, Bethnal Green, London, E2 6HG.
Start date: Friday 14th September

We are pleased to announce that we have new copies of our Falling About and Moving About DVD back in stock and available from our online shop.

Falling About is Green Candle Dance Company’s entertaining and moving 2007 production which tells the story of Ruby’s life through the metaphor of falling-learning to walk as a baby through falling, the moral falls of a teenager, the mature woman falling in love, the physical fall of an older woman-and reveals the power of dance to help recovery from all these falls.

Moving About is a teaching resource, showing two model dance workshops for older people, one for seated and one for standing participants, with a detailed commentary on soundtrack and subtitles. All the elements of a safe and effective dance session are clearly demonstrated and analysed in both sample workshops: the warm-up, stretches involving all the main muscles group, some examples of choreography and a cool-down.

Buy it now from our online shop

Photo credit: Beth MacInnes

MG Hop, Green Candle’s Youth Dance Project (formerly BanglaHop!), has been running for over 5 years at Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets.

Led by dance artist Icy Ice 54 and photographer Beth MacInnes, during the 2017/18 academic year the MG Hop group took part in dance workshops in Hip-Hop and Street dance styles and had the opportunity to develop skills in dance photography and photography editing software Photoshop.  The main aims of the project were to:

1. Develop individuals dance abilities in new dance styles such as House, pop/ hip-hop and commercial dance.
2. Increase skills in; memory, musicality, rhythm, footwork, floorwork, space awareness, teamwork and choreography.
3. Improve students’ health and fitness, through muscular endurance, strength and stamina.
4. Increase social bonding between peers through shared experiences.
5. Improve participants’ self-confidence and self-esteem and support positive self-reflection.
6. Inspire and support pupils considering to take GCSE dance

The culmination of MG Hop’s work during the workshops was shared with their family, peers and school staff at a performance at the exhibition opening on May 15th 2018, with the photographs taken by, and of, the students exhibited in a space at Oxford House for all to see. The exhibition images went on to be displayed again at Mulberry School for Girls during the autumn term 2018.

The participants enjoyed the opportunity to work together, make friends with other students, create their own choreography, perform in front of other people and learn new skills in dance, photography and editing. They also expressed a great feeling of pride at seeing their images displayed in the exhibition.

The students involved told us:

“The dancing choreography was really fun and we got to meet up with new people.”

“I enjoyed learning new routines as well as dancing with new people & teachers who do not usually teach me.”

“I mostly enjoyed learning new choreography and taking photos, I also loved making new friends.”

“I enjoyed how we had a chance to make our own choreography, share ideas and work with new people.”

“It was really amazing to be able to take photographs and learn different techniques.”

“I felt so proud of myself because I could see my hard work.”

“It’s good to get mixed up with other people in the year group because then I can have a chance to make new friends.”

The dual element of dance and photography with performance and sharing opportunities positively engaged the students and provided them with a new creative focus to their learning.

We are delighted that we have secured funding in order for MG Hop to continue for the 2018/19 academic year and we look forward to working with the students at Mulberry School for Girls again.

MG Hop was a partnership project with Mulberry School for Girls and was funded by Tower Hamlets Council

Now booking for its sixth year, this hugely successful course will begin again in October 2018.

The DIPLOMA IN LEADING DANCE FOR OLDER PEOPLE is a Level 3 OCNLR Course covering 13 accredited units over six weekends (one weekend a month for 6 months).

This in depth course will deliver an understanding of how to lead safe, effective and enjoyable dance and movement work with older people, providing a bal ance between three main areas:

1.Theory
2.Dance and movement work by participants
3.Assessed practice with older people.

The course is suitable for teachers, dancers and dance students, health care workers, occupational therapists and activity coordinators.

Find out more about the course content

Course fees: £1,200 (includes registration and certification)
Contact: suzanne@greencandledance.com for an
application form.
Closing date:  The deadline for applications is 31st August 2018.

NEW! There are also Level 3 OCNLR accredited LEADING DANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S units available as an add on to the Diploma (at extra cost) or they can be taken as a standalone certified course over two weekends

Please note:  Places are limited and we require a £200 deposit to secure your place

Green Candle and London Arts in Health Forum are coming together to present a free morning symposium exploring the way dance can impact positively on health in later life. The event will examine what is needed to ensure quality in provision of dance and how dance can build fruitful relationships with agencies such as the NHS in hospitals, community services and GP practices.

Confirmed speakers include:

Fergus Early, Artistic Director, Green Candle Dance Company
Debra Quartermaine, Falls Prevention Lead Nurse, Cambridge University Hospitals
Claire Farmer, Dance Well Project Officer, Akademi
Professor Emma Redding, Head of Dance Science, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Kiki Gale, Director, Dance for Parkinson’s Network UK

Date:  Thursday 7 June 2018
Time: 10:30am – 12:30
Location: Oxford House, Derbyshire St, Bethnal Green, London E2 6HG

This event is FREE but you need to register and reserve your place.

Register your place