Charity DanceSyndrome are celebrating after success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Local charity DanceSyndrome is celebrating after two successful performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

DanceSyndrome is a multi-award winning dance charity, based in Lancashire, that delivers inclusive dance workshops and dance leadership training as well as inspiring performances that demonstrate a focus on ability rather than disability. The charity was founded by dancer Jen Blackwell, who happens to have Down’s syndrome, because she found it difficult to find opportunities in community dance due to her disability. DanceSyndrome’s ethos is that disability should never be a barrier to following your dreams.

Jen’s dream has always been to travel the world with her dance team and she firmly believes that everyone should “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” The idea of taking the team to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival became a reality after a successful local tour in 2016 gave the team the confidence to follow their dreams of performing on an international stage.

In 2016, DanceSyndrome secured Arts Council England funding to develop a performance piece called “Orbit” which was so well received by audiences that it was decided to raise funds to take the show to the Fringe. The charity ran a successful fundraising campaign, starting in March this year, to help to cover the costs of the trip. With the help of sponsorship from local business StormMeister Flood Protection, they managed to raise enough money to cover the costs of taking 13 dancers and their support to Edinburgh to perform at the festival.