DANCE FOR THE DISABLED

Whilst working as a choreographer and teacher in London, Janet Randell was invited to give classes for various disabled members of the community, including those who were wheelchair bound and those with special needs and severe learning disabilities who attended either day centres or psychiatric hospitals.

She has included dances and exercises for the disabled in her book In Him We Move (email: janet_randell@lineone.net ).

Janet is encouraging various movement and dance therapy projects and is also developing animated and digital dances for the disabled in the community.

As Chairman of Woods Hills & Tracks ( www.pco.powys.org.uk/woodhill ) a charity that is introducing new challenges to people with all types of disabilities including the opening up of rural disabled access, she is exploring facets of dance and movement with various physically and mentally disabled groups.

Janet provides opportunities for small groups who would, under normal circumstances, be unable to attend or participate in a full dance performance at a theatre but could cope with smaller venues such as a community centre or outdoor location. The vitality and exuberance of dance is found to be very therapeutic.

One of her latest ventures involves the creation of multi-media dance projects for the disabled, incorporating the interaction between movement, therapy and nature. She is piloting ideas for an outdoor therapeutic environmental dance project with the Derwen College and Workshop for the Disabled which includes movement, dance, video, film and dance animation. She is hoping to give an opportunity to disabled people with very severe learning difficulties to express themselves in a way often denied to them. Janet has experience of work with the elderly and the severely handicapped and also organises special courses for children, teenagers and groups with Special Needs.

email: woodhillproject@lineone.net