Empowering Followers

For the first time, we present a unique workshop concept: Warmly welcome to an evening dedicated to empowering followers, women, and non-conforming folks to feel comfortable taking more space within partner dance communities! 🥂✨ As we all know, partner dancing has traditionally centered on the experience of the leader, and leaders’ voices are the ones that have been heard and their perspectives the norm. It can feel scary and intimidating as a woman, follower, or person not conforming to the norms to take up space within these communities, or you may simply not know how, where to begin. The dance scene needs other perspectives, to be come more inclusive and welcoming, and to help other women and followers develop their dancing (how much do you really learn as a follower in a class where only the male teacher is talking?), it needs YOU! ⭐️ This workshop aims to give you the tools, confidence and courage to start making your voice heard, to contribute your perspectives alongside those of the leaders, to step up and show the world (and yourself) that you belong here, and that you are valuable. 💎 It will be a mix of movement and mindset exercises, motivational talks, and group discussions. The workshops are open to women, gender-nonconforming persons, and hbtq-men, regardless of dance role, and straight men whose primary dance role is follower. It is not open to straight male leaders. Talks will center on the perspective of a female leader and follower, since that is where Agnes has personal experiences, but for group discussions we warmly welcome other perspectives. 📆Date: January 21 🕥Time: 16-21 (with dinner break*) 🏠Venue: Uppsala Danscenter, Vaksalagatan 12 (entrance from the courtyard) 💵Cost: 300 kr** 🙋Sign up: link: https://dans.se/uppsaladc/shop/?event=208215&info=1 *We recommend you bring dinner (there are microwaves), but you can go buy something close by as well **The workshop is free for teachers and assistants at Uppsala Danscenter. About Agnes: Agnes has been dancing different couples dances since 2007, and teaching since 2011. She has been a part of different dance communities such as bugg/fox, lindy hop & swing, bachata, kizomba, and tango, and has noticed some differences between the norms and attitudes of each scene, but also a looot of similarities regarding the respect for women and for the follower dance role. She is primarily a follower, and has been without a steady partnership for most of her dancing career. Since 2021 she has also been teaching as a leader in the kizomba scene. She wasn’t always the strong, feminist warrior in partner dance that she is now, she has worked a lot on overcoming her insecurities and stepping up and taking space. Now she wants to help empower others to make the same journey.