Renée Bellamy is one of our NRgDance dance artists and was going to be teaching at Plumcroft Primary before the current lockdown. Unfortunately, we could not get into the school this term so Renée kindly answered some questions so we could find out a bit about her.
Tell us about yourself…
I am a London based interdisciplinary artist and facilitator working primarily with moving image and dance. I have a person-centred approach to both artmaking and facilitation and I’m interested in making work that is down to earth and human with multiple points of access.
What styles of dance do you teach, and do you have a favourite?
I teach contemporary and contemporary hip hop fusion. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I love contemporary as there is so much freedom and the possibilities are infinite.
Do you do anything else outside of teaching?
Outside of teaching I like to create interdisciplinary works that explore and document what it means to feel and experience different realities. Most recently, I made a film in collaboration with Saffron Mustafa titled “a portal that is the time we have shared” as part of Siobhan Davies Dance’s Next Choreography Programme. I’m currently interested in finding ways to make connections with others and cultivate collective joy!
What inspired you to start dancing?
I think I’ve always liked dancing and expressing myself through movement. I’m very lucky in that my mum was able to take me to ballet classes at the local community hall when I was small, and then when I was a little older, she saw an advert for a local dance school and decided to take me along to their jazz classes. I can remember being quite nervous and shy, but very curious about dancing. Eventually I was taking classes in multiple styles. I feel grateful that I had that opportunity because dance has become a key part of my life.
What can our young people expect when they come along to one of your NRgDance sessions?
You can expect to learn new skills, discover talents you might not have known you had, to make new friends and have a lot of fun!
