FEATURED ARTISTS AT FLEETWOOD MOVES ’26
AIMEE WILLIAMSON
Aimee Williamson is a performer, dance artist and theatre maker based in Lancashire. Her work spans across ballet, contemporary, physical theatre and puppetry. She creates work for outdoor spaces using inspiration from folklore, nature and local heritage. The work that excites her combines traditional folk dancing and modern styles of dance. She feels a strong connection to her home and the natural landscape and strives to bring high-quality dance theatre and the warmth of folk storytelling to local family audiences. She has an expansive career creating, performing and touring with companies such as Horse + Bamboo, Folkdance Remixed, BalletFolk, Handmade Theatre, LPM Dance, A Bird in the Hand Theatre, Wild Rumpus and Ballet Cymru.
Find Aimee on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/aimeelilywilliamson/
ALSADAQA
ASCENDANCE / FUSE DANCE COLLECTIVE
We’re delighted to welcome Ascendance to Fleetwood Moves this year! For their Fleetwood Moves ’26 appearance, Ascendance will present two co-curated dance works performed by their adult performance company, Fuse Dance Collective.
Fuse Dance Collective is an integrated professional/community performance company that puts older dancers and those with Parkinson’s centre stage, creating professional-quality performances that celebrate diverse bodies and experiences. Fuse Dance Collective has performed at Northern Ballet, Saltaire Heritage Day, Leeds Playhouse and has delivered outreach for Parkinson’s groups, Care Homes and other community groups across Yorkshire. Fuse Dance Collective create and rehearse work every Friday in Headingley, Leeds.
More details on ascendance can be found at: https://ascendance.org.uk/
Facebook: @AscendanceLeeds Instagram: @ascendance_danceco Vimeo: @ascendancefilm YouTube: @ascendance_film
BEN WILSON DANCE
For Fleetwood Moves ’26, Ben Wilson Dance will be performing “Step Ahead”: A flagship production choreographed and performed by choreographer and dancer Ben Wilson. Ben is part of Talent Development North, which supports learning for disabled or autistic dance artists to explore, create and progress within dance.
CONNECT PLAY LEARN
Connect Play Learn is a Community Interest Company set up to provide therapeutic arts-based activities for families, children, and individuals with Special Educational Needs, Disabilities or additional needs in the Morecambe Bay area.
Find out more at https://www.connectplaylearn.org/
DANCESYNDROME
DanceSyndrome is an inclusive dance charity founded in 2009 by Jen Blackwell, a dancer and leader with Down’s syndrome who created the organisation after finding no accessible training opportunities. Today, they bring learning‐disabled and non‐disabled dancers together to create, perform, and lead. All their work is co‐produced with people with learning disabilities, reflecting their belief that everyone has the right to follow their own interests and passions – whether they have a disability or not. Through high‐quality dance and leadership opportunities, DanceSyndrome empowers individuals with confidence, value, and self‐belief.
Find out more at https://dancesyndrome.co.uk/
DUXBURY DESIGNS/CREATURES COLLECTIVE
Katie Duxbury is a costume designer and maker with a love of all things colourful and fun. She creates the spectacular and fantastical costumes worn by Creatures Collective to reflect and celebrate the beauty of the world around us, and to bring a bit of joy and silliness! Recycling and resourcefulness are at the heart of Katie’s work, with pre-used materials being central to her inspiration and garment construction.
Katie’s costume skills have been developed through fifteen years of freelancing with theatrical wardrobe departments and dance companies across the country, including The Dukes Lancaster, LPM Dance Company, About Time Dance Company, Oldham Coliseum, The Aldwych London and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Find Katie/Creatures Collective on Instagram and on Facebook
FLAKEFLEET SCHOOL
LPM artists joined children at Flakefleet School for a full week in June.
Year 5s worked with the team to develop dance and choreography skills over two days. They were so good, we wanted to share their artistic work as part of Fleetwood Moves. We’re delighted that Rory, Eme, Heidi, Emily, Millie-louise, Daisy, Milly-Mae, Jessica, Lana, Kya and Max will be joining us to perform!
FLEETWOOD FUSION & LET’S DANCE LANCASTER
Fleetwood Fusion are an inclusive creative dance company for adults of all abilities. The weekly class is led by Helen Gould and Corinne Tams of LPM, from Barbara Jackson’s Theatre Arts in Fleetwood.
Let’s Dance Lancaster is an inclusive dance group for adults led by LPM Dance in partnership with North Lancashire Down Syndrome Group.
We’re excited to be bringing Fleetwood Fusion and Let’s Dance together for the first time to perform a dance piece that was choreographed by members of both groups.
George Adams & Company. Featuring Faye Guiffo
George has assembled as many of the LPM team as possible for a thrilling presentation of a brand-new score, brought to life with live music by the incredible Faye Guiffo.
HARMONY & HEALTH
Harmony & Health are not a choir! They are a joyous and inspirational community singing group. It really doesn’t matter how well you can sing; it’s about enjoying some good tunes in good company.
Find out more about Harmony and Health at https://www.healthierfleetwood.co.uk/harmony-and-health
HOWARD HAIGH
Howard Haigh has been delighting and entertaining audiences for three decades. Guitarist and Composer, he has performed on BBC TV and International TV & Radio (including Blue Peter, with Julian Barrett, Jessica Hynes, Craig Charles, Screaming Lord Sutch, Gloria Gaynor, Johnny Logan, Alan Titchmarsh and others).
He has performed for and introduced the late Queen Elizabeth II. He has appeared in films and videos, Dance and Theatre Shows, and with strippers and acrobats, contortionists and magicians in shows at The Millennium Dome (O2 Arena), The Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Festival Hall, Solfest, Manchester Jazz Festival, The Olympia Fashion Show, WOMAD, and many other prestigious venues.
Find Howard on Bandcamp at https://howardhaigh.bandcamp.com/
INDEPEN-DANCE / EVOLVE
Indepen-dance is Scotland’s award-winning inclusive dance company for disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy, express, and fulfil their potential through dance. Their mission is to enable participation in high-quality arts provision and improve wellbeing, quality of life, and provide opportunities for disabled and non-disabled dancers in both the professional and non-professional dance sectors.
Indepen-dance’s Evolve company are a disability-inclusive group, with a focus on dance technique, choreography and improvisation. Inspired by DV8’s ‘Cost of Living’ dance film, Evolve company dancers took movement themes, shapes, formations and performance concepts to put together a dance performance that is lively and packed full of detail.
Find out more at https://www.indepen-dance.org.uk/
INNER STATE THEATRE COMPANY
Andy Andrews and Christine Bissell have been working together as Inner State since 1992, producing everything from full-length comedy shows in village halls and community centres to walkabout acts and short comic theatre pieces for events all around the UK.
Their work has included music and puppets and tends to lean towards historical subjects, particularly maritime. They function as a comedy double act, look immaculate, and everything they do is family-oriented.
Find out more about Inner State at https://www.innerstate.co.uk/
ITHALIA JOHNSON
Ithalia Johnson is a dance artist, choreographer, yoga teacher, ADHD coach and cultural producer with over 23 years’ experience working across the arts, education and community sectors. Her work celebrates Caribbean and British culture, Carnival traditions, wellbeing, social justice and the power of movement to bring people together.
Ithalia has performed, taught and produced work nationally and internationally, creating inclusive experiences that inspire confidence, creativity and connection. She is the creator of “The Untold Stories of a Carnival Queen”, a dance-theatre work celebrating Caribbean Carnival’s contribution to British culture. Her new show is called ” Our Crossing”, a children’s multimedia story about the Windrush Pioneers.
Find Ithalia on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ithaliaj/
PRESTON YOUTH DANCE COMPANY (PYDC)
Preston Youth Dance Company (PYDC) are a community, a family of dancers who collaborate to create and perform innovative performances across the region and nationally. PYDC is a celebration of youth voice and creativity, formed of local creatives and dancers aged 11-18 from a broad range of backgrounds and experience, open to all.
They showcase the impact of performance work made by a diverse group of young people, and specifically, people of different ages working together collaboratively. As a company, they have repeatedly received praise and feedback at regional and national events for their sense of community and individual expression, all centred on youth voice and individual creative choice.
Find PYDC on Instagram at @bluemoosedance
TAKE ROOT (LPM DANCE TEAM)
In May this year, LPM Dance welcomed Travis Smith, Charli-May Townend and Luke Whipp to the team. We’re delighted that this group of talented artists from our Take Root Apprentice programme will be featured at the Fleetwood Moves festival this year. More information coming soon!
The LPM Team will be performing across the event. The team comprise:
- Helen Gould (co-Director)
- George Adams (co-Director)
- Travis Smith (Apprentice)
- Charli-May Townend (Apprentice)
- Luke Whipp (Apprentice)
TRAMSHED THEATRE COMPANY
TramShed is an inclusive theatre company based in Blackpool. What started as a small grassroots charity 19 years ago has now grown into a well-respected, dynamic and developed organisation. Driven by the voices of their community, they break down social barriers and social exclusions in all their. Unequivocally inclusive, TramShed is a place where differences are always accepted and actively celebrated.
Find Tramshed at https://www.tramshed.org.uk/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TramShedTheatre
TRAVIS AND TRISTAN
Travis Smith and Tristan Aplin create multimedia work that brings together their practices in dance, lighting design and music composition. Their latest project, funded through LPM’s Take Root apprenticeship programme, premieres this year at Fleetwood Moves, featuring live music and lighting generated through dance.
At 12.30 and 14.15, Travis and Tristan will share their unique new digital programme, inviting you to create your own light and sound design through movement.
TURNAROUND DANCE THEATRE
Ellen and Grace are sisters who set up TurnAround Dance Theatre in 2013 to create performances and workshops that inspire, engage and build memories for family audiences. Their most notable work is ‘The Thief, the Fox and the Phoenix’, a dance, singing and aerial festival show. They have also created bespoke festival commissions for Portavogie Seafood Festival, Festa Italia, Fleetwood Moves, More Music and Sneaky Experience.
For Fleetwood Moves, Ellen is also compereing as her alter-ego Boing-Ebella, a fun and exciting circus character who will also lead some dance workshops, as Ellen is a highly experienced workshop facilitator in dance, especially skilled with SEN audiences and immersive sensory experiences.
Grace is an aerial dance artist who has performed internationally and specialises in creating performances with unique characters and narratives. Grace will perform three aerial solos exploring characters from her research and development about weavers in Greek Mythology: Arachne, Philomela and Circe. Each aerial dance solo will use a different piece of rope aerial equipment, multicorde and rope sling.
More info about Turnaround at https://www.turnarounddancetheatre.co.uk/ Find Grace on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/graceturnaround/
UPBEAT ROCK ACADEMY
Upbeat Rock Academy are a music academy based in Poulton and Blackpool.
Read more about Upbeat Rock Academy at https://www.facebook.com/upbeatrockacademy
