About us
giraffe dance is an inclusive, professional, and caring dance company based in the West Midlands. It provides joyful and creative experiences in schools and community settings that are accessible to everyone.
At giraffe dance, we are proud to offer inclusive dance sessions where everyone is not only welcomed but celebrated. Our qualified facilitators are committed to creating a supportive and encouraging environment where individuals of all backgrounds and abilities, can come together to experience the joy of dance.
Our sessions are designed to be inclusive and accommodating to all. We believe that dance is a universal language that transcends barriers, and we strive to create a space where everyone feels valued and empowered
giraffe dance was conceived after Alison and the families she worked with became frustrated by the lack of inclusive dance provision in her local area. Her final call to action came when her own daughter stopped attending dance classes. When Alison asked her daughter why she didn’t want to dance any more she replied.
‘Mummy when I dance, I just want to do my own moves, my own way.’
Hearing her own thoughts reflected in her child’s voice she knew it was time to make a change. With lots of support and guidance from some incredible inclusive practitioners in the dance world and with her family cheering her on, giraffe dance was born.
Our mission is to create joyful and inclusive dance experiences that are accessible to all.
Why are we called giraffe dance?
The simple answer is Alison’s favourite animal is a giraffe. She loves how they are elegant, secretly fierce and a little bit clumsy. Their view of the world is different to most and this is something Alison can relate to; they are absolutely her spirit animal.
Alison was also inspired by a wonderful book called ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ by Giles Andreae. The book is about a giraffe who doesn’t fit in with the other animals and the way they dance. As a dyslexic thinker this was something she could relate to having grown up often feeling like she doesn’t quite fit into a lot of the boxes in the dance world. Her favourite quote from the book is.
“We all can dance when we find the music that we love.”
It struck Alison that in her experience of dance teaching and wider education this quote is so true.
We all can achieve anything we want to when we are allowed to be ourselves and move in our own way.
“We all can dance when we find the music that we love.”
— Giles Andreae author of the book Giraffes Can’t Dance
Meet the team
Our team at giraffe dance all have a strong inclusive ethos and are qualified from an education or dance background. We all hold an enhanced DBS certificate and have adequate insurance.
Alison Penn (She/Her) Founder
Alison (she/her) is a dance artist based in the West Midlands who is passionate about making dance fun and accessible to all. She has made it her mission to create movement and dance opportunities for people who have limited access to the performing arts. She believes dance is a powerful tool to engage communities and support individuals mental and physical wellbeing.
Alison is lifelong dancer and a qualified teacher who has worked in dance and education for over 20 years.
She has experienced working with students in all stages of learning and has a wide range of knowledge in supporting those labelled as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). She is a flexible and creative teacher with a strong technical base. As a Sports Science Graduate (with dance specialism) Alison believes in a whole person approach to dance, with health and well-being at the centre of her work. Alison is experienced in delivering a variety of styles and believes in allowing her dancers to find and express their voices through their own art.
By combining her specific knowledge of SEND with her passion for dance, she uses her experience to advocate for inclusivity within the dance industry. She is a professional member of ‘People Dancing’, an alumni of New Adventures ‘Overture’ programme and member of the Dance leaders Group. These associations enable her to attend regular training sessions and provide opportunities to connect with other professionals in the community.
Emma Ford (she/her) Support Artist
Emma is an inclusive dance artist Passionate about breaking down barriers to people accessing dance. Her aim is to support current and new dance opportunities to positively increase mental and physical well-being by encouraging each person to realise the value in their own creativity.
With 11 years’ experience leading dance within vulnerable communities in a variety of settings, both children and adults, Emma has gathered skills and knowledge which allow her to better understand the challenges people may face in accessing dance and how these can be overcome.
Emma has also led dance activities to support the curriculum within a school for those with SEN’s and physical needs. She believes a creative approach to dance sessions allows each person to take part at their own level creating magical wow moments where individuals shine and realise their own value.
Being a support artist on a recent dance project in SEND schools as part of their well-being days, has given Emma further insight into the benefits of dance and how it can be used to improve confidence and help people feel seen and heard.
Outside of this Emma is a youth and community worker for young people on the autism spectrum and has experience working 1:1 with individuals through alternative provision.
Emma has a Bachelor of Arts Dance Degree, is a member of People Dancing and the Dance Leaders Group. Throughout her career in dance Emma has committed herself to continual professional development to keep in touch with best practises in working inclusively.
Work with us
Collaboration
We are always looking for new ways to spread our dance magic! If you have a project or an idea we can help with we would love to hear about it.
Freelance opportunities
We welcome enquiries from magic makers interested in becoming new freelance giraffes to support our growing team. If you are interested in working with us get in touch.
Volunteer with Us
We love having magical volunteers to support our team here at giraffe dance. This is a great way to gain experience in the dance sector and is a very joyful and fulfilling way to contribute to your local community. If you would like to help us create the sparkle, please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you!