Dance Dosti catering for those from a South Asian background
Dance Dosti Dancer Gita. Picture: Dani Campion
Visually impaired Londoners from a South Asian background are being invited to join Dance Dosti: a new free dance programme devised by Step Change Studios and Metro Blind Sport.
Funded by the Vision Foundation, the Dance Dosti initiative aims to support people to be more active. The first phase of the project - Dance Dosti digital - established a website containing over 100 dance sessions in English, Bengali, Gujarati and Hindi.
The next phase of Dance Dosti is a series of free pilot face-to-face dance programmes. The first 12-week programme starts in Southall on Saturday 2 October at 2pm.
This programme will run at Southall Sports Centre (Beaconsfield Road, Southall UB1 1DP).
Rashmi Becker, Founder of Step Change Studios said, “The aim of our live dance programmes is to create a supportive, fun environment where visually impaired people can learn to dance, make friends and develop new skills while improving their physical and emotional wellbeing. We know that cost can often hinder participation, so we are delighted that we are able to make these classes free to access, thanks to support from Vision Foundation”.
Martin Symcox, CEO of Metro Blind Sport said, “Blind and partially sighted people face barriers in taking part in physical activity and engaging in social activities. Within the visually impaired community there are certain groups who can face a ‘double disadvantage’. Dance Dosti aims to empower people that face greater exclusion by providing accessible dance and supporting the transition from home to community-based activity.”
Dance Dosti founder Rashmi Becker. Picture: Dani Campion
Dance Dosti will monitor the impact of dance on a range of measures including mental and physical health, confidence, friendships and independence.
To register for any of the Dance Dosti free dance programmes visit: www.dancedosti.com/pilots or call 07462 895461.
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September 23, 2021
