Community Artist Loïs Cordelia and friend, Emma Davis run not-for-profit community-inspired freestyle dance events in Suffolk. Ahead of a Halloween-themed dance, via Zoom, they explain how it all started after dancing outside during the pandemic
Who are you both and what do you do?
E: I’m Em, I’m a user researcher by day but I also run creative group dance classes, focussed on moving for enjoyment and wellbeing. I’ve been a Groove facilitator for past four years, and before that taught burlesque dance classes.
L: And I’m Lois, a freelance artist, speed-painter, sculptor, illustrator, filmmaker and freestyle dancer. Dance inspires much of my artwork and I often dance while I work. I particularly enjoy transforming animal statues for public art trails all over the UK, but I welcome bespoke commissions on any scale from intricate miniatures to big murals. Unusual requests a speciality!
Lois, we featured you at the start of the summer, with Castle on the Dog – how was the Paws-itivity Suffolk Libraries exhibition received?
L: Thanks again! The response to PAWS-itivity has been extremely paws-itive. It was lovely to wander into libraries across Suffolk and find these beautiful pooches on display, each one hand-decorated and adorned by an artist. I’m excited to say that I’m starting on another canine themed project this Autumn, working with Guide Dogs to create a design for Canary Wharf, but that’s as much as I can tell you, as it is top secret.
Em, what is Groove for Wellbeing and what does being a Groove instructor entail?
E: Groove is a simple, fun and creative group dance class – no special equipment, clothing or expertise required. If you can move, you can groove! The playlist is a mix of upbeat, cardio-based songs alongside slower paced, yummy, nurturing tracks, spanning all different genres and decades. For each track, I unite everyone in a simple movement or rhythm, but you get to dance it your own unique way. My job as the facilitator is to unite everybody in the movement and then offer suggestions and invitations as to how they might want to get creative and make their dance unique. It’s ideal for anybody who wants to find opportunities for more, enjoyable, movement, let go of the need to be ‘perfect’ and ‘always get it right’ and to just dance their heart out to some belters!
L: I just want to add that Em and I first met in 2019 when I started coming along – initially out of curiosity – to her Groove sessions in Ipswich, which were always colossal fun. I can personally highly recommend Groove as a perfect balance between wanting some structure and going completely freestyle in dance, and Em makes everyone feel totally at ease.
When did you both first have the idea for doing freestyle dance events and what is the thinking behind it?
E: We started meeting up at the park for a dance outside during the pandemic. I think it’s fair to say we both benefited immensely from it, even if we did get a few strange looks!. Eventually we decided to invite others along to join in the fun, too. We did move to indoor dances when the lockdown restrictions eased but there is something lovely about dancing outside, so we do like to arrange that when we can!
L: For my own part, I never danced as a child and have no formal dance training. When I started university in Edinburgh, I swiftly realised that the heating in our student digs didn’t work, so I danced to music to keep warm. The more I did so, the more I found that not only did I enjoy it, but I felt fitter, happier and more in tune with myself and everything around me. Dance boosts wellbeing, fitness, balance, brain function and our sense of community – what’s not to love? Since I was never taught how to dance, I experimented freely moving to every type of music. A dear friend, Daniel Rounding, who is sadly no longer with us, used to run ‘Free Dance’ sessions in Ipswich and Colchester. I became a regular attendee and helped Daniel boost the group size. Sadly, the pandemic brought a lot of things to a halt, hence why Em and I had to find other ways to keep the spirit of freestyle dance alive. Freestyle dance is just that: moving to music in whatever way it inspires you. There are no right or wrong steps. It’s free and spontaneous. As the saying goes, people will stop asking you questions if you answer back in interpretive dance. Friedrich Nietzsche once said: You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star. You are always free to sit out if a particular song doesn’t inspire you. We always recommend people to listen to their own bodies and not to overdo things physically. And there are no restrictions on talking, laughing, screaming or singing along! If you enjoy Five Rhythms Dance, Ecstatic Dance, or Groove, you’ll love Freestyle Dance, which is the freest of them all.
What is happening on Saturday and how can people get involved?
E: Saturday is our Halloween themed freestyle dance on Zoom. Fancy dress is optional but highly encouraged!
L: Please don’t feel put if you love dancing but don’t like the idea of Halloween – yes, of course the playlist is loosely themed on Halloween, but there’s never any pressure to go along with that. Feel free to simply dance.
What can people expect during the Zoom event?
E: We have an eclectic playlist that runs from everything from French hip hop to classic Vivaldi, songs from musicals and Mongolian throat singing metal. There really are no genre limits, but we pick a wide selection of tracks for the playlist that you can’t help but move to in some way. On the night, we turn over control to ‘DJ Random’ so that it’s a surprise even to us what gets played on the night and when. DJ Random always seems to pick the perfect mix! The playlist is just the foundation, you can then choose to move to them in your own way. There are no set moves, no steps to learn, it’s just dancing along however you feel moved to.
L: Expect a lot of fun, laughter and spontaneity!
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
E: There’s a lovely conscious dance community around Suffolk, so it’s great to be part of that and I’d love to help that grow as well as becoming more connected with the community where I’ve moved to in Colchester. All in all, I’m excited about offering, and dancing as part of, future dance events!
L: I couldn’t agree more. Em and I long to share the fun of freestyle dance with as many people as possible. I dream of one day hosting a freestyle dance festival. One day… Shorter term, please get in touch to be kept updated about all our upcoming events, indoor and out.
‘DJ Random’ presents: Halloween Dance on Saturday October 28, from 5-7pm, on Zoom. Email groovewithEm@gmail.com to request a Zoom link. Also, Visit Groove with Em on Facebook and Instagram; and Loïs Cordelia on Linktr.ee.
Featured images supplied by Loïs Cordelia and Emma Davis
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