Meet our Kickstart Team - Chloe Snelgrove

Tell us about your dance journey before joining the Kickstart programme

I have been dancing my whole life, starting out in Ballet and Tap, and then moving into the field of contemporary dance as my practice has evolved. I graduated last year with a BA (Hons) in Dance from Royal Holloway, University of London, which gave me the time and space to focus on and begin shaping my practice as a dancer. I have always loved being creative and expressive through movement and writing. Last year I was selected as a writer for the City Moves dance writing programme, where I was a part of reviewing performance works, as well as having the opportunity to write a creative piece. This was a really rich experience for me, as it allowed me to put my writing into practice. Just before starting this programme, I also became a core member of the Sanctuary on the Faultlines Network, which is a group of professional women dancers who dedicate to dancing in wild spaces. Being part of this network has really helped me to mould my self-practice and interests as a dance artist going forward with new projects and work.

How would you describe your dance practice?

I love working with improvisation, individual experience, somatic, and holistic practices, as a contemporary dancer. I am interested in the creative process, methodology, and practice-as-research. Recently, my dance practice is looking at the relationship between body and nature, and how we can re-establish a connection between body and land. My practice is fluid and interdisciplinary, where I typically work with movement, drawing, reading, and writing. I am curious about how we can begin to discover new spaces for dance to flourish and new ways of sharing dance, performance, and practice. I am passionate about the importance of creativity and the arts, and so my practice also is interested in how we can reintegrate these ideas, connections, and opportunities for children and young people, inspiring them to be creative and imaginative, as well as how I can help to support and nurture the future of dance.

What about the Kickstart programme are you most looking forward to?

I am so excited and grateful to have been selected for this programme. I am really looking forward to getting to know and working with the South East Dance team. I can’t wait to get involved with their different projects, especially with participation and working with young people and children. We have come at a very exciting time with the preparations for launching The Dance Space, so I am also really excited to be a part of that, and what it can bring to our local community and artists. I am also looking forward to collaborating with my fellow artists and having the time and space to work on my practice.

Why do you love to dance?

I love dance because it allows us to explore, seek, become, communicate, and express, anything and everything through our bodies. It is universal and for everyone. Movement is everywhere, and so dance is another lens through which we can view and navigate the world. Not only is it liberating to move the body, but the practice has also taught me so much, and has shaped who I am as a person today. Dance teaches us grace, strength, vulnerability, compassion, expression, grounding, lifting, and so much more, which is why it is so important to be available for everybody, and valued by all.

You can find out more about the Government Kickstart Scheme and what our wonderful group of dance artists will be getting up to over the next six months here.