Dance has developed, and continues to develop, a range of opportunities for disabled people to dance professionally. As a teacher of dance in mainstream education, I am acutely aware that access to professional training is limited for
Application – Rosemary Brandt

disabled students and that provision needs to be made now in dance institutions to prepare for integrated training and education in mainstream dance.

In 2004 I was invited by the Associate Director of CandoCo Dance Company to be part of the development group to contribute to the writing of a foundation course for disabled students wishing to enter vocational dance training. I have subsequently taught Movement Analysis on this course.

However the concept of integrated dance lacks clarity. It is not about disabled dancers being amongst other dancers by their active presence in a group, nor is it about using the same parameters and boundaries of definition for movement, its range and quality. It is not about the approximation of movements of the body: it is universally recognised that movement is unique to the individual. This recognition further demonstrates that our moving, dancing body is the place where the individual lives and the developing artist grows; where the origin of the impulse to move or dance arises, and where knowledge derived from the dancing experience resides.

I feel it is important to acknowledge differing needs and separate training before we can understand what integration really means. My work in this area continues as does my association with Candoco.