What we do

Dance to Health embeds evidence-based, falls-prevention exercise principles in fun, creative and sociable dance sessions for older people.  In addition, Dance to Health aims to achieve other outcomes related to falls, including increased confidence, reduced isolation and greater independence. Dance to Health is a 26-week programme and is run by professional dance artists from Birmingham Royal Ballet, National Dance Company Wales, Yorkshire Dance, Cheshire Dance, DanceEast and South East Dance. The programme incorporates a variety of dance styles from ballet to jazz to contemporary

Following a series of successful pilot programmes in 2016, Dance to Health is now working with seven health partners and seven dance partners across England and Wales with the view to launch 40 new programmes. Our aim is that Dance to Health groups are supported to become sustainable dance groups run by older people themselves, offering older people an ongoing community-based resource that will keep them active and reduce their risk of falling

Dance to Health is being evaluated by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, on the basis of two outcomes: whether Dance to Health provides the health system with an effective and cost-effective means to address the issue of older people’s falls,  and whether Dance to Health helps older people in danger of  falling overcome lost confidence, reduced independence and  increased isolation

Norfolk has a significantly ageing population, and injuries incurred through falls within people aged 65+ are of increasing prominence in the county. Therefore, we are excited to be a partner on Dance to Health’s innovative falls-prevention project, which not only provides a process for preventing falls, but a long-term method for sustaining people’s engagement in being active..

Ryan Hughes, Physical Activity Project Officer