Restless Dance Company’s Checklist for Support Workers stage. to acknowledge this dance does not aim for Participate as yourself as • and tune in to the movement everyone far as possible. Designate prior to the We hope that you enjoy the • vocabulary the group is doing the same move at the workshop too! Your clients workshop who will developing, particularly same time. more to do It’s specifically support ideally need to experience if with creating the same mood the workshop alongside you. whom. If someone needs they have missed a couple as support during the workshop Your open, relaxed of weeks of workshops a group or sharing the same involvement validates the it needs to be provided because of the staff roster or moves but performing them dance activity for your client. within the group or by other circumstances. in your own time. We are generally not happy leaving the group for a short to have people watching the while with the person in that Develop a sixth sense for Enjoy the workshops! • • designated workshop because this when to provide support Feel free to ask the workshop says OK not to role for the session. This is and when to leave space. leader any questions or to it’s to ensure the continuity of participate. (Regular group This is to do with the feed back any worries or ‘right’ members are, of course, the workshop. and the of the thoughts you may have. ‘wrong’ welcome to sit quietly for a workshop being decided on Your participants are the • We aim to balance our while.) by the participants. People experts. experience in creative are only going if they ‘wrong’ People with an intellectual We are open to arranging dance with your knowledge are hurting or interrupting disability are often experts certain occasions during the and understanding of your other people. in an activity such as a project for people to watch. clients with their interests The actual movement does creative dance class This may be at the end of and ideas. not have rules to do with set because of their ability to the whole project, or for the A dance project is a rhythms, steps, right/left or improvise and follow their last ten minutes of each dialogue, in which we value use of the room. Creative own ideas. Supporters need week, or at the halfway the input of everyone
Restless Dance Company’s Checklist for Support Workers • Participate as yourself as far as possible. We hope that you enjoy the workshop too! Your clients ideally need to experience the workshop alongside you. Your open, relaxed involvement validates the dance activity for your client. We are generally not happy to have people watching the workshop because this says it’s OK not to participate. (Regular group members are, of course, welcome to sit quietly for a while.) We are open to arranging certain occasions during the project for people to watch. This may be at the end of the whole project, or for the last ten minutes of each week, or at the halfway stage. • Designate prior to the workshop who will specifically support whom. If someone needs support during the workshop it needs to be provided within the group or by leaving the group for a short while with the person in that designated role for the session. This is to ensure the continuity of the workshop. • Your participants are the experts. People with an intellectual disability are often experts in an activity such as a creative dance class because of their ability to improvise and follow their own ideas. Supporters need to acknowledge this and tune in to the movement vocabulary the group is developing, particularly if they have missed a couple of weeks of workshops because of the staff roster or other circumstances. • Develop a sixth sense for when to provide support and when to leave space. This is to do with the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ of the workshop being decided on by the participants. People are only going ‘wrong’ if they are hurting or interrupting other people. The actual movement does not have rules to do with set rhythms, steps, right/left or use of the room. Creative dance does not aim for everyone doing the same move at the same time. It’s more to do with creating the same mood as a group or sharing the same moves but performing them in your own time. • Enjoy the workshops! Feel free to ask the workshop leader any questions or to feed back any worries or thoughts you may have. We aim to balance our experience in creative dance with your knowledge and understanding of your clients with their interests and ideas. A dance project is a dialogue, in which we value the input of everyone
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