Tiny toes ballet are offering Free dance sessions to the children of asylum seekers and refugees.
I am a dance teacher and business owner, but above all I am a mother. I really want to do what I can to help the children and families who seek refuge in the UK, and above all for them to feel cherished and valued as they should be.
I cannot imagine as a mother myself with three boys aged 12, 10, and 5 years old, what these families have been through and what a difficult journey they have encountered. Joining a dance class is a chance for parents and children to make new friends and to feel part of their local community. We hope it gives them a bit of enjoyment and a sense of connection at what must be a devastating time for them.
I am so very proud of all my franchisees across the UK, from Newcastle to Cambridge to Cornwall and across Wales, in all our seventeen locations for opening their classes to the children of asylum seekers and refugees. Witnessing tragedies such as the war in Ukraine can make us feel very powerless; by offering these free classes we’re hoping that displaced children all over the UK will have a chance to feel welcomed, play, and remember how to be children.
We hope that our offering will help children to settle and integrate as quickly as possible into their new environment. This article from the BBC interviews a young child who is learning English ready to begin school in Manchester
The Ukrainian refugee schoolgirl learning fast in the UK - BBC News
I think sometimes we can all feel powerless when a huge event like this war is going on, and we really hope that this offering will be a way to support refugees and asylum seekers and celebrate the power of music and dance to unite us all.
It is well documented how powerful music and dance can be in helping the mind to feel peaceful and evoke a sense of positive emotions. As proven in the words of Gleb, a young Ukrainian refugee who says in this interview “When I am singing I feel light” Meet Gleb and Ukraine’s youth orchestra in exile in Slovenia - BBC News
Tiny Toes welcomes contact from any charities, councils, or individuals who are involved with looking after refugees and asylum seekers, and who might want to help them access these opportunities. We are also open to traveling to places where refugees and asylum seekers are already gathering or being supported in order to offer classes at a location that suits them.
Anyone interested in arranging classes can contact me, Emma Morgan founder and director of tiny toes ballet on email [email protected]
Basket