associate artists
Suzie Birchwood
At the age of 16, Suzie won a full scholarship to train as a dancer at London Studio Centre. At 17, she developed the neurological condition Dystonia and is now a wheelchair user. This changed Suzie's practice and approach to dance but did not stop her from continuing her professional development. At this point in her life, she recognised the creative possibilities of integrated dance and became full committed to making dance accessible to people of all ages.
Suzie has danced professionally with (Same Flame), (Exalt) and (The Show Must Go On) and is also a company member of Theatre as well as Artistic Director and dancer with her own company .
Suzie first worked with GDance in 2013 on the creation of
Stuck in the Mud, artistically directed by
. She is currently a dancer in R&D for GDance's new production
All Fall Down (working title), has participated in GDance's research into inclusive approaches to ballet (Dance Unstuck) in 2015 & '16. She's also contributing to the Government-led discussion and development to address inclusion in ballet and other dance styles which interface with examining bodies.
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Viv Gordon
Viv is a professional dance artist who has life-long mental health issues.
She is the founder and Artistic Director of Mean Feet Dance in Somerset specialising in dance for individual and collective wellbeing, working with people of all ages and abilities, particularly those on the margins of society.
In 2009 she initiated the One Step Forward for good mental health programme championing cultural inclusion for people with this hidden disability - as a means to stay well and gain artistic voice to challenge stigma and discrimination by speaking out about our experiences.
In 2014, Viv was GDance's Choreographic Fellow. She is currently piloting the I Am An Egg dance company offering training to professional and community dancers with mental health needs. She is making her first solo show, I Am Joan, a hopeful comedy about trauma recovery.
Viv has become a leading voice in dance and mental health practices using her own experiences to better understand the access and inclusion needs of people with mental health issues engaging in the physical, body-based practice of dance. She has written several articles for dance industry publications and spoken at regional, national and international arts and health events. In 2015, she won the Judges' individual prize for 'significant contribution to the field of arts and health in the South West'.
Click here to find out more about Viv.
Nicola Miles-Wildin
Nickie is a professional disabled radio and stage performer. She graduated as a theatre and media student from University of Glamorgan and during her time there wrote her one woman show '3ft Off The Ground', which played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
She is currently a freelance performer and workshop facilitator who works as an assistant artist with . Nickie is well-known for her role as Miranda in the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony and as a member of the Rinestone Rollers, a wheelchair dancing troupe.
Nickie is also Chair of Theatre Gloucestershire and one half of Cheltenham-based . For GDance she has co-led inclusive teacher training, facilitated a national network (Dance for Change) meeting and co-choreographed for GDance's community company VIA.
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