Dance Sector Leaders Join MPs for Angela Rippon’s “Let’s Dance” Event in Parliament

One Dance UK was delighted to join prominent figures in Parliament last week for an event to celebrate Let’s Dance, a national campaign to inspire everyone in the UK to dance, founded by Angela Rippon CBE. The event highlighted the role dance can play in improving health, wellbeing, and social cohesion across the UK. 

The session brought together parliamentarians and leading dance professionals for a lively dance class led by Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer and choreographer Kai Widdrington and supported by Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers Nancy Xu, Flavia Cacace, and Neil Jones. They were joined by former celebrity contestant Alex Kingston and founding Strictly judge and celebrated choreographer, director, and dancer, Dame Arlene Phillips. 

The session was hosted by Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP who welcomed attendees before joining in the dancing. More than 40 MPs participated beneath the glass atrium of Portcullis House, including Hannah Spencer, Nigel Huddleston, Caroline Nokes, and Kim Leadbeater. 

Andrew Hurst, MBE, Chief Executive of One Dance UK, reflected on seeing MPs participate in the session: "It was heartening to see MPs giving dance a go and seeing the immediate and tangible impact on their mood and energy levels - we hope this will give them an embodied understanding of why dance matters, and the difference it makes in people's lives." 

Dr Erin Sanchez, Head of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science and Lead Specialist in Health, Wellbeing, and Performance, added: ‘Dance provides powerful benefits to support physical and mental health; improves bone health and muscle mass, reduces stress and improves quality of life. Knowledgeable and experienced dance professionals from all over the UK have the skills to deliver these benefits through their work in care homes, hospitals, community centres and private dance schools. It was wonderful that MPs had a chance to experience this in their work setting, and we hope they will support their constituents to access it as well.’   

Laura Nicholson, Head of Children and Young People’s Dance at One Dance UK, said: "At One Dance UK we champion dance as an essential part of every young person’s core education and enrichment entitlement. This fantastic event brought the joy and energy of dance directly to MPs and peers, allowing decision-makers to experience its power first-hand and to recognise the profound impact dance has on wellbeing, community cohesion and our thriving cultural sector." 

The Let’s Dance campaign encourages people across the UK to take part in dance to support health and wellbeing. As part of this nationwide initiative, organisations, schools, community groups and individuals have hosted open days, workshops and classes aimed at bringing people together through movement, celebrating joy and connection regardless of age or experience.  
 
To find out more about the Let’s Dance campaign and the events that took place around the UK, visit the official campaign website https://lets-dance.org.uk/