Hemant joined our Leaps and Bounds, dance sessions for adults with learning disabilities, in 2022. Initially he was wary of dancing and preferred to observe from the side of the room or assist the dance artists.

In July, the group were invited to perform at Expressions Festival at Northern Ballet. They began working on ‘I am, we are’ a piece exploring personal stories and friendships. Hemant loved sharing information about his own life, his passion for music and food.

Seeing that Hemant wasn’t too keen to learn a dance routine, the dance artists gave him the role of official filmmaker. He learnt how to use a professional camera and about wide shots, close ups and zoom ins. He created a film of ‘I am, we are’ which you can watch below.

Ellen who leads the session explains: “Hemant’s confidence has improved since making the film and he is now contributing music suggestions and giving more dance movement suggestions.”

Hemant is also enjoying the social element of the sessions and sharing his cultural heritage with his new friends. “I enjoy Leaps & Bounds sessions because we dance to different music and celebrate different cultures. Specially I loved showing Diwali light festival dance. In Leaps & Bounds we are all friends and have fun together.”