You can catch the UK’s first and only professional wheelchair dance company in Birmingham next month. Based in the West Midlands, Propel Dance will put wheelchair users centre stage when it performs at Midlands Arts Centre on Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30pm.
Propel Dance
Launched in 2023, Propel Dance blends contemporary dance with para dance sport technique and works at the intersection of art and sport. It kicked off with a debut touring production of The Snow Queen, and has since travelled to the USA to develop international partnerships with world-class para dance coaches.
In September 2024, Propel Dance was commissioned to perform at the Paralympics GB Athletes Homecoming concert at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, which was broadcast on Channel 4. This performance won them an award for ‘Best Dance Performance of the Year’ at the inaugural We Are Creative Awards.
Momentum
This winter, it’s taking its new show ‘Momentum’ to stages across the Midlands. On top of the Birmingham show, catch Propel Dance at Nottingham’s Fletchers Theatre on November 4, North Hykeham’s Terry O’Toole Theatre on December 5, and Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre Studio Theatre on February 19, 2027.
‘Momentum’ is Propel Dance’s biggest tour to date: a dynamic showcase of seven short works; expect everything from solos to a duet and a quartet. The show will also include performances from Birmingham’s Freewheelin’ and Montpellier-based guest artist Nathan Waye.
The five-strong Propel Dance company includes returning dancers Rebecca Fowler from Birmingham and Lauren Russell, alongside new young dancers Katie McConnell, Jay Whitehead, and Poppy Jones, who represent the next generation of disabled dance artists.
“Birmingham has such a strong and vibrant inclusive dance community, so having Freewheelin’ take part in the evening and welcoming Nathan Waye as our guest artist makes this performance especially meaningful,” said Propel Dance co-directors Helen Mason and Amy Dalton-Hardy.
“Momentum is about showing the breadth of what professional wheelchair dance can be – it’s athletic, artistic, joyful and powerful. We also want audiences to see the next generation of disabled dancers coming through, alongside established artists, and to experience the energy that comes from putting all of these performers on one stage.”
To learn more about Propel Dance and get your tickets to Momentum, head here.
