Dance Aware: our company ethos is that art is the great social tool. We welcome collaboration with artists who constantly challenge their practice to be all they can be.








Dance Aware is;
  • the active arm of Living Awareness Trust
  • a vehicle for the skills of artistic director Michael Mitchell
  • a focus for dance on film, educational with social comment
  • meditation and movement facilitating participants' experience
  • delivering projects which respond to community needs
  • research exploring the essence of movement
  • well-known for networking and bringing multi-disciplinary and artistic teams together to work on projects
  • cross-regional and international Practice

The focus of Michael's work is to explore the relationship between mind and body in a performance context. So we have movement from the inside to the out (what does this feel like?), and the emotional impact of body shapes when observed (what does this look like? what does it say to the viewer?). In the relationship between mind and body it is necessary to research the almost meditative as well as physical origins of movement; from the amniotic embryo, through the womb door, to the outside world, developing as a complete articulate (mobile) human being. Crawling to standing, collapse, degeneration and aging as parts of the evolutionary process feature greatly in Michael's work and how he establishes a link with dancers. Once a comprehension of the process, much of which may be invisible, is glimpsed or comprehended a focus of Michael's input is to bring subconscious to consciousness and to reveal some internal process through movement activity. Without reference to a society's take on able or disabled, Michael's view is that each human being is complete and articulates in its own way, we are who we are at any one point in time and are constantly changing. It's interesting to observe how each individual inhabits his/her body and how this reveals the focus, intents and belief systems of a personality. Furthermore, to explore how occupations, activities or intents shape body use and how bodies overcome dynamic challenges is the basis for many investigative movement forms eg. Alexander, Felden Kreis, Gindler, arguably Anna Halprin.

Performance which is socially engaged.

Tools for community performance are simple everyday action, our start points being what participants can do. We give opportunities for the group to find their own movement styles.

Outcomes reflect;

  • a change in experience
  • skills and bonding of the group
  • participants' points of view
  • often making a social comment


Recent History – navigating the site

2011 - Scratch Orchestra , choreography for moving image at Lets be Frank and Body and Landscape
2010 - multi-art form collaboration Rhythm and Life
2009 - the Moving the Line exhibition featuring the stunning performance photographs from Paul Marks, shown at Holton Lee, Study Gallery in Poole and Glasgow moving on conference. Identity Project as part of testing the edges.
2008 - Dance Aware completed Moving the Line which culminated in a major showcase at the ICIA bringing artists together from Swindon, Bristol, Bath, Salisbury and Poole.

Current thinking and work

Since 2008 Michael has been increasingly involved in collaborations with film-makers, image makers and music artists to find ways to reflect inner process, highlight diversity and difference. He has been in a search for the most practical and engaging ways to get messages across to audiences as well as leading participants and dancers through a range of internal and reflective processes. Activity and fun feedback is the movement menu. Moving image projects; "Let's be Frank" and "Body Landscape" reflect this process. "Dancing from the Inside Out", the community and educational workshop, draws on Zen meditation and Butoh whilst the "Idea Works" brings everything together and summarises the practice of both Michael and current partners and choreographers.

Another thing! an opportunity to enhance, stretch and inform personal skills in action research are high on the list of Michael's priorities. What can Michael bring to the table? An insatiable appetite for creativity and getting messages across and love of the challenges involved in collaboration. A practical movement career as a facilitator and choreographer which goes back to 1990, coupled with as many years of project development and management.  

Dancing with the inside body puts you in touch with your internal landscape. It draws on your innermost resource for its creativity. The journey appeals to your sense of self - how you see yourself and how others see you. We aim to stimulate this enquiry through dance, film & music with a diverse range of people.


 -Special thanks to Louise Pack for developing the home page animation.