Wanna Dance? Projects

The Wanna Dance? Artist-in-Residence Programme is delivered through a partnership between Vivo Care Choices and Cheshire Dance. 

The residencies ask the question, ‘if people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities would like to dance, and if so, how that dance might be?’ and seek to give individuals with the most complex needs opportunity to engage in dance experiences that are personal to them and meet their unique needs.

The Artist-in-Residency programmes began in 2022 and currently run across three Adult Day Centres in Cheshire West.  

The residencies involve dance artists dancing one to one with members of the day centre communities, supporting them to take the lead and valuing their lived experience of dance/movement. Dance Artists and support staff records and review session observations and experiences so that - over time - an individual understanding of how each individual likes to dance can be created and shared.

You can see images of the Artist-in-Residency programmes in our gallery.

In July 2025 we facilitated the first 'Wanna Dance? Jams' in response to curiosities emerging from the third year of the Artist-in-Residency programmes.

The improvisation jams took place in studios at Theatre Porto and University of Chester Kingsway Campus, bringing together dancers with and without PMLD, musicians and care staff to co-create improvised dance and music.  

The jam sessions focused on improvisational and non-verbal practices, with unique movement, sound and relationships emerging from each different session, sometimes senstive, subtle, quiet and small, other times wild, energetic, loud and expansive, and everything in-between!

Photographer Sam Ryley explored how he might engage creatively with the jams and supported care staff to document what they saw and experienced through photography and drawing.

We were curious about...

- How one to one interactions might unfold in small group settings

- How individual dancers might engage with space, music, movement, environment and each other

- How dancers might engage with live music 

- The impact that the spacious dance studios might have on the dances that emerge

- How we might capture 'meaningful' moments from the jams

- How support staff might creatively engage with the jams

Watch this space for more reflections and images from the Wanna Dance? Jams...

‘When we meet… 5 dances’ is a powerful short dance film created by Sam Ryley at the end of the second year of Wanna Dance? Artist-in Residencies in 2024.

Set to an original, emotionally rich score, the film features Johnny, Vicky, Dylan, Leon and Beth in duets with dance artists, Ruth and Jane, creating collaborative choreography rooted in empathy, attentiveness, and embodied communication. 

Through shared presence, eye contact, gesture, breath and pause, the film invites the audience to witness personalities revealed, showing that trust, respect, and choice can be powerfully conveyed without words.

This is not performance imposed, but dance emerging from mutual understanding. Each frame honours the dignity and creativity of people too often spoken for rather than listened to. 

The film challenges assumptions about communication.

It also challenges assumptions of what dance can be.

"The film shows what can happen when movement, embedded in sound can become the topic, the conversation.  How foolishly restrained we can be in our typical interactions - so rigid, so unembracing of vitality.  Be unapologetic and proud in this dancing conversation. The film also shows how the word “sensory” means so much more than a passive recipient of another’s objects… to engage in senses means temptation, exploration, anticipation, attention… to be absolutely sensual in its core meaning. To be in the senses can be delicate and mighty. Breathtaking.”  Sheridan Forster - PMLD Communication Expert

Watch this space for the public release of this film.

This series of short films captures movement explorations from the first year of the Wanna Dance? Artist-in-Residence programme.

In each dancing relationship we are asking ‘how might we dance together?' The Wanna Dance? film captures our answers to this question, celebrating our dancing together, exploring communication and connection beyond words.   

In the film we see Adam, Marcos, John, Elaine and Patrick dancing with Jane McLean from Cheshire Dance. 

The film has been created by filmmaker Sam Ryley and composer Gary Lloyd in collaboration with the dancers.

We share our developing practice through online and in person workshops for dance artists, care staff and organisations. 

We have developed and delivered a one day 'Introduction to Dance and PMLD' course which:

• Brings together dance artists to share approaches, knowledge and resources to enrich dance experiences with people with PIMD
• Introduces the Wanna Dance? programme, sharing some of the underpinning research and processes
• Explores practical ways into one-to-one dancing with people with PMLD.

People with PIMD are non-verbal, sensory specialists with idiosyncratic communication styles.  As dance artists and creatives we have much to learn from them on sensory being, intention and communication. 

Together we explore, question, develop and inspire our practice - and each other - to ensure all people with PMLD can have opportunities to experience dance.

"It was wonderful to be part of this day, to meet other artists and share thoughts and questions. Ruth and Jane's shared experience and models of practice offered invaluable insights of working with people with PMLD." Independent Dance Artist reflecting on training day March 2025

For more information about this and other training opportunities please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you.