Lancashire-based inclusive arts charity DanceSyndrome has announced that Italian professional dancer Giovanni Pernice has joined them in an ambassador role, as announced last night at the 10thth Birthday Event at The Lowry, Salford Quays.
The DanceSyndrome team first met Giovanni in June 2022 at Plungington Community Centre, Preston when he surprised them while filming Channel 4 TV lifestyle show Steph’s Packed Lunch. Giovanni spent the whole day with the dancers and was impressed by the inclusive dance environment the charity had created. Later in 2022 he approached her about the possibility of an ambassador role on DanceSyndrome.
DanceSyndrome is a multi-award winning dance charity founded by Jen Blackwell, who has Down Syndrome. The charity was started because Jen was struggling to find community dance opportunities that were accessible to people with learning disabilities. DanceSyndrome’s ethos is that a disability should never be an obstacle to following your dreams. All DanceSyndrome sessions are led by people with learning disabilities taking on visible dance leader roles to inspire people to see what can be achieved when we all become more inclusive. The charity offers inclusive dance workshops and leadership training both in communities across the Northwest and online via Zoom.
Giovanni learned the importance of inclusion in dance while dancing with the deaf Rose Ayling-Ellis in Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 and is determined to do more to raise the profile of inclusive dance through his charitable roles.
The role of ambassador means Giovanni will promote DanceSyndrome’s work on his social media and attend events, provide exclusive gifts for fundraiser prizes and generate funds for their work by appearing on charity television shows.
Giovanni said: “DanceSyndrome’s sessions are what dancing is all about, having fun and enjoying yourself. Dancing is a way of expressing yourself through music and everyone must be allowed to do it no matter what. DanceSyndrome is a beautiful group. I loved meeting everyone. Together they show that everyone, regardless of ability, can and should share a passion for dancing. I love this message and am proud to be an ambassador for their incredible work.”
Julie Nicholson, Managing Director of DanceSyndrome said: “Everyone at DanceSyndrome loved meeting Giovanni last year. He was so supportive and inclusive in the way he worked with us that everyone felt really valued. The team of dance leaders was thrilled to hear that they were also an equally big influence on Giovanni and that he wanted to do more to support our work. Of course, as a small charity we need a lot of help with fundraising and raising our profile, but this means so much more to us. Many of our dancers with learning disabilities have encountered obstacles trying to access mainstream dance, so it is a real boost to meet such a high caliber professional dancer who understands the quality and value of our work. We can’t wait to see where this partnership takes us!”
To find out more about DanceSyndrome’s work, visit www.dancesyndrome.co.uk
