Learning disability dance: an example of resilience with Speckled Egg Dance Company

ABSTRACT

This article argues that making dance performance is a resourceful means of self-production that is an aspect of resilience, through interrelationship, and that making dance is an act of resilience in the context of the social, cultural, and historical struggle that continues in the lives of people with learning disabilities. The argument is made by developing dance scholar Randy Martin’s theory of mobilisation in relation to Catherine Panter-Brick’s theorisation of resilience as a recruitment of resources. A short description of rehearsal work by Speckled Egg Dance Company provides evidence of how practice might be understood through the argument.

KEYWORDS:

• Learning disability
• dance
• mobilisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See Bella Todd's (2020) research for Spectra Arts.

2 There are a number of professional companies such as Anjali http://www.anjali.co.uk/ and Corali Dance Companies https://www.corali.org.uk/ who have funding and some critical recognition.

3 For an historical and philosophical account of these histories see Carlson (2010).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Margaret Ames

Margaret Ames is a Senior Lecturer in Performance. Her research into dance and theatre by learning disabled artists is practice based and is supported by over 30 years of work with people of all abilities to make dance theatre performance.