Affiliated to the National Down's Syndrome Association
About Us
Dance 21 is an Unincorporated Association which provides a dance group, 'Dance 21', for children and young people with Down Syndrome and their siblings in the Essex area, projecting a positive image of disability. We operate to a professional standard and encourage participation of family, friends and other interested parties in supporting and developing the dance group. Our committee is run by parents of children with Down Syndrome on a volunteer basis.
In the Dance 21 Dance Group we offer a dynamic, fun, structured environment where everyone has the opportunity to improve their potential through dance and movement. We also develop a variety of skills and each child is valued as an individual and respected team member.
A Little History
The dance 21 dance group was set up in September 2000 by Mary Schultz, as organiser and Jean Hunter, as dance teacher. Mary felt that children with Down Syndrome are so much more capable than a lot of people give them credit for and wanted to raise their profile in her local community.
Her daughter Ellen, who has Down Syndrome, had attended one of Jean's other dance classes since the age of five years. She enjoyed it so much that Mary asked Jean if she would be willing to become the dance teacher of a very special dance group of children with Down Syndrome and their siblings, based in Chelmsford, Essex.
Luckily she agreed and soon after the group began
Dance 21 is an Unincorporated Association which provides a dance group, 'Dance 21', for children and young people with Down Syndrome and their siblings in the Essex area, projecting a positive image of disability. We operate to a professional standard and encourage participation of family, friends and other interested parties in supporting and developing the dance group. Our committee is run by parents of children with Down Syndrome on a volunteer basis.
In the Dance 21 Dance Group we offer a dynamic, fun, structured environment where everyone has the opportunity to improve their potential through dance and movement. We also develop a variety of skills and each child is valued as an individual and respected team member.
A Little History
The dance 21 dance group was set up in September 2000 by Mary Schultz, as organiser and Jean Hunter, as dance teacher. Mary felt that children with Down Syndrome are so much more capable than a lot of people give them credit for and wanted to raise their profile in her local community.
Her daughter Ellen, who has Down Syndrome, had attended one of Jean's other dance classes since the age of five years. She enjoyed it so much that Mary asked Jean if she would be willing to become the dance teacher of a very special dance group of children with Down Syndrome and their siblings, based in Chelmsford, Essex.
Luckily she agreed and soon after the group began
Jean has tremendous patience and all would agree that she matches the depth of character, warmth, love, dedication, sense of humour and performance shown by the group. She has shared her caring and giving personality with us all and what started as a small group in 2000 has gone from strength to strength and currently has 31 dancers ranging from the ages of six to eighteen.
We meet every Thursday during school term time from 4.45 to 5.45 p.m. and have been extremely lucky to have the use of a local school hall free of charge and are lucky to have a subsidy towards class fees from Down Syndrome Extra 21 for its members.
About Jean Hunter
Jean has been in the business of dance for 30 years. In the early days, performing on TV in the original Come Dancing Off Beat section, and in the BBC Heritage series. She then moved on to teaching and presenting in a wide variety of venues including Crystal Palace for the Starlight Childrens Charity, with members of the Gladiators. An Associate member of the ISTD, and an Examiner for the United Kingdom Alliance for Teachers of Dance, she had a dance school in East London producing and dancing in 10 annual shows along with co-teachers Marlyn Leon and Will Daniel-Braham from the recent Ch.4 Bally Hoo series.
The Footwork Dance School has now been based in Chelmsford for 15 years and both Jean's daughters Alise and Adele are active in several classes, having danced since they could walk. Dance 21 was formed in the year 2000, and has gone from strength to strength, starting with just 5 members, leading up to the current 31 members plus a waiting list.
Jean has worked in many local schools as a peripatetic dance teacher but is now concentrating more on her 3 performing groups, Dance 21, Footwork Mardi Gras group, and the Chelmsford Mencap Gateway group, who all regularly take dance exams and medals and appear in shows, (see performances page), and a new proposed group to be called the 'Mini Pops'.
Our ambition for Dance 21 is to get them 'on the telly', and are currently open to suggestions.
Jean has been in the business of dance for 30 years. In the early days, performing on TV in the original Come Dancing Off Beat section, and in the BBC Heritage series. She then moved on to teaching and presenting in a wide variety of venues including Crystal Palace for the Starlight Childrens Charity, with members of the Gladiators. An Associate member of the ISTD, and an Examiner for the United Kingdom Alliance for Teachers of Dance, she had a dance school in East London producing and dancing in 10 annual shows along with co-teachers Marlyn Leon and Will Daniel-Braham from the recent Ch.4 Bally Hoo series.
The Footwork Dance School has now been based in Chelmsford for 15 years and both Jean's daughters Alise and Adele are active in several classes, having danced since they could walk. Dance 21 was formed in the year 2000, and has gone from strength to strength, starting with just 5 members, leading up to the current 31 members plus a waiting list.
Jean has worked in many local schools as a peripatetic dance teacher but is now concentrating more on her 3 performing groups, Dance 21, Footwork Mardi Gras group, and the Chelmsford Mencap Gateway group, who all regularly take dance exams and medals and appear in shows, (see performances page), and a new proposed group to be called the 'Mini Pops'.
Our ambition for Dance 21 is to get them 'on the telly', and are currently open to suggestions.