Nicola Forshaw

I trained at the Northern Ballet School and have extensive performing experience in the UK and Greece where I danced with contemporary dance theatre companies. Before completing an MA in Applied Theatre at York St John, I taught ballet in Conservatoire schools with a focus on professional dance training. Since my MA, my focus has shifted to dance in community settings and I have a particular interest in engaging people in dance activities for social change and personal well-being.

I run a social enterprise called Access Dance through which I offer work placement opportunities to York St John Drama and Dance students. Some of the projects that students have supported me in include sensory movement classes for children with special educational needs, prison sessions that encourage movement play between fathers and their children, circle dancing for elderly people and choreographic collaborations with community arts groups. I also set up and lead the award winning Converge Dance courses at York St John for people who use mental health services. This has been a major part of my research into dance and mental health and I recently investigated changes in student attitudes to mental health when they are involved in work placements with Converge.

My teaching includes movement for actors, physical theatre, dance technique and choreography with a particular focus on experiential anatomy and somatic practices after having completed training as a Somatic Movement Educator with Katy Dymoke.

Research interests

• Dance and mental health - prevention, recovery and progression
• Dance pedagogy: action based and participatory learning
• The role of interdisciplinary art in psychological well-being

 Learn more about work I do for dancingforwellbeing.org