Emilia has always had a passion for inclusive dance, starting her teaching journey back in 2016, working as a learning support assistant for a dance a drama class for disabled and neurodivergent students. This passion was developed further when she undertook her BA (Hons) in Dance graduating with a first from the University of Suffolk in partnership with DanceEast, specialising in inclusive community practice. Emilia has trained with Stopgap to gain her IRIS teacher qualification and Seedbed inclusive practice. She is continuing her professional development undertaking an MA in Dance Producing and Management at London Studio Centre, graduating 2023.
Emilia has been working closely with Stopgap since 2021 but has started her role as teacher with Aldershot Youth Company September 2022. One of her favourite parts of working with the youth groups at Stopgap is community choreography and performances. “I love creating work with the students, their creative voices shine through the choreography and it is a joy to watch them grow and develop in their own individual practice. Victoria Day and Stopgap’s Winter Platform have truly highlighted this.”
As a dance artist, Emilia has been practicing working inclusively and honing her teaching practice since 2016 working with a broad variety of community groups. Emilia’s dance practice is very much routed in dance for health and wellbeing as well as advocacy work. Working with groups such as Project21 (promoting supportive and positive communities for dancers with Down’s Syndrome), ENB’s Dance for Parkinson’s, Dance for Dementia, Suffolk Artlink (multi-disciplinary art workshops for adults with additional needs) and CoDa Dance Company (delivering dance sessions on brain injury wards). Emilia has also represented Youth Dance advocacy as a Dance Ambassador for OneDance UK, promoting the young talent across the UK and ensuring dance is valued within our society.