Fierce Grace, a short dance film, exploring the sacred power of shared movement
A group of dancers cluster gently around the central figure, Hannah - a white person with Down syndrome - who gazes directly into the camera. The others surround her in a soft, intricate tangle: arms cradling heads, hands draped over shoulders, torsos leaning into one another with quiet connection. While the surrounding dancers look outwards or towards each other, Hannah’s steady gaze holds the lens. All wear flesh-toned clothing, blurring the lines between bodies.
In the quiet reverence of the church, both Disabled and non-disabled dancers come together to reimagine and reshape the iconography of the past. As the beat builds, they break free, losing themselves in the revelation of a new spirituality. Amidst the liberation, one dancer remains caught – watched, judged, and suspended between ideals of purity and the urge for self-expression.
Through touch, connection, and shared motion, Fierce Grace becomes a celebration of unity, revealing the radical beauty of dancing as one.
To make this film more accessible to a wider audience, there is embedded audio description and creative captioning.
Where to watch
Fierce Grace is available for film festivals and events
Credits
Fierce Grace is a creative project produced as part of Stopgap’s Future Leaders programme.
Conceived and managed by Assistant Producer Annie-Rose Grantham and Assistant Artistic Director, Monique Dior Jarrett, under the guidance of Co-Artistic Director Lucy Bennett and Executive Producer, Lucy Glover.
Lucy Bennett, Monique Dior Jarrett
Choreography & Direction
Christian Brinklow, Monique Dior Jarrett, Emily Lue-Fong, Jannick Moth, Hannah Sampson, Alice Shepperson, Abbie Thompson, Nadenh Poan
Dancers & Collaborators
Dougie Evans
Composer & Sound Designer
Ben Glover
Creative Captioner
Floyd C Kondé
Videographer & Editor
Lily Norton
Audio Describer
Annie-Rose Grantham
Producer
Lucy Glover
Executive Producer for Stopgap
Lucy Bennett, Laura Jones
Co-Artistic Directors for Stopgap
Support using public funding by Arts Council England. The use of the filming location was provided in kind by Holy Trinity Church.
With thanks to Mandy Redvers-Rowe for providing feedback on the audio description.