The Choreographer for the Sambassadors of Groove is Dawn Stephenson.
Dawn is one of the founder members of the Leamington School of Samba which she has been involved with for the last 15 years. During this time she trained with Dudu Tucci following his Roots of Brazil percussion course and then took on the role of musical director, later taking a step back to focus on bringing up her daughter. She rediscovered her passion for dance inspired by the music of Brazil and decided to create a dance group for the 'Sambassadors of Groove'. Having trained originally in 'Contemporary Theatre Dance' at Laban Centre in London and qualified with a PGCE specialising in Dance and Movement Education Dawn threw herself into this new role with vigour. The Dance group has been going for 7 years, with a core group of 12 dancers.
Dawn is one of the founder members of the Leamington School of Samba which she has been involved with for the last 15 years. During this time she trained with Dudu Tucci following his Roots of Brazil percussion course and then took on the role of musical director, later taking a step back to focus on bringing up her daughter. She rediscovered her passion for dance inspired by the music of Brazil and decided to create a dance group for the 'Sambassadors of Groove'. Having trained originally in 'Contemporary Theatre Dance' at Laban Centre in London and qualified with a PGCE specialising in Dance and Movement Education Dawn threw herself into this new role with vigour. The Dance group has been going for 7 years, with a core group of 12 dancers.
The group's dance repertoire is choreographed by Dawn. Choreography is created around the grooves that are performed by the band. The rhythms inspire the movement and are influenced by the different styles of Brazilian dance, eg Maracatu, Samba Reggae, Ijexa. Dawn regularly attends workshops with other experts in the field and carries out her own research to further expand her knowledge of the dance form.
Thinking of Joining the Dance Group
Some of the dances that are performed are lively and energetic, others are more sedate and flowing. We hold regular free Induction courses for beginners to have a go. This style of dance suits women who have had some experience of dance and perhaps danced when they were younger.. Many of the group's regular attendees joined just for fun and exercise. There is no pressure to perform with the band at gigs, but the opportunity is there if you want to, once the repertoire has been learned and you feel confident and happy to do so. We have great fun and the dancers have formed a close supportive bond with each other. Please call me if you have any questions.....
Thinking of Joining the Dance Group
Some of the dances that are performed are lively and energetic, others are more sedate and flowing. We hold regular free Induction courses for beginners to have a go. This style of dance suits women who have had some experience of dance and perhaps danced when they were younger.. Many of the group's regular attendees joined just for fun and exercise. There is no pressure to perform with the band at gigs, but the opportunity is there if you want to, once the repertoire has been learned and you feel confident and happy to do so. We have great fun and the dancers have formed a close supportive bond with each other. Please call me if you have any questions.....
The dance group rehearse every Sunday at The Band Factory, Althorpe Street, Leamington Spa from 10am to 11.30pm. They also rehearse with the band at their Thursday night practice session from 8.00pm to 10.30pm.
For information about the Sambassadors of Groove dance group, please contact Dawn Stephenson on 07952 548534 or email [email protected]
For information about the Sambassadors of Groove dance group, please contact Dawn Stephenson on 07952 548534 or email [email protected]
