Dance Mapping - Arts Council England

Theatre dance and popular forms are growing closer. On April 15 th in The Guardian, Bidisha
wrote:
‘The reign of contemporary dance has come about in a pleasingly grassroots way. It's not as
though some elite's patronage of classical ballet has trickled down to an endorsement of
"street" moves. Rather, the ubiquity of dance in music videos, the compatibility of dance and
film, and the crossover of people like Rafael Bonachela who worked on Kylie's Showgirl tour,
have piqued young people's interest. They're surrounded by varied styles, from Karole
Armitage's slick preening for Madonna's Vogue to the thrilling energy of Hihat, who has
worked with Missy Elliot and is one of Step Up's choreographers. This has been bolstered by
the annual Dance Umbrella events, the Rambert Dance Company's showcases at Sadler's
Wells, London, and the charismatic dancer Sylvie Guillem's Darcy Bussell-like entry into
mainstream consciousness.’
4. Dance, health and social inclusion
‘Music, poetry, dance, drama and the visual arts have always been important to our mental
and physical wellbeing, and collective participation and engagement in the arts is a
fundamental element of any civilised society. As E M Forster put it: “Art is the one orderly
product that our middling race has produced…it is the best evidence we can have of our
dignity”.’ (Alan Johnson, Minister for Health, 16 th September 2006)
In 2006 Arts Council England published Dance and health – the benefits for people of all
ages. In the foreword to the report, Caroline Flint MP, Minister for Public Health and David
Lammy, Minister for Culture, stated:
‘In this country an increasing number of people lead sedentary lifestyles and rates of obesity
are rising. The need to improve levels of physical activity and develop healthier lifestyles has
never been more pressing. The Government has provided leadership and guidance on
making healthier choices in the documents Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices
Easier and Choosing Activity: A Physical Activity Plan, but if people are to make positive
decisions about improving their health and well-being, they need to be able to choose from a
range of suitable options.
Dance can have a powerful effect on people’s lives and we want to see the physical,
emotional, mental and social benefits of dance extended to as many people as possible.
Efforts to improve health and well-being need to reach everyone in our society. Anyone can
dance and enjoy dancing – young or old, disabled or non-disabled. The vibrant range of
styles drawn from different cultures gives dance an impressive reach in our multicultural
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