WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
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Are you or your young person seeking support in navigating stress, pressure, anxiety, or body image issues, especially within the dance world? Vicki helps you understand the mind-body connection, discover what makes you unique, and embrace your body with love.
Whether it's overcoming life challenges or the pressures of the dance world, Vicki offers guidance to help you or your young person build confidence, resilience, and find freedom in movement. Let’s explore how dance and connection can be a powerful path to self-discovery and healing.
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Are you a leader, teacher, or manager in the dance sector looking to better manage challenging behaviour and understand what's happening in the minds and bodies of your students?
Vicki offers training grounded in the latest research on child development, providing practical tools to recognize trauma responses and respond effectively. In the midst of the speed, intensity, and expectations of modern life, Vicki's training equips you to create a supportive environment while bringing laughter, joy, and connection back into your dance classes and training. Let’s build a space where growth and well-being thrive alongside dance.
Who Am I
With professional training at Millennium Performing Arts (MPA) and a career performing in a variety of companies, I’ve lived the realities dancers face in this industry. My journey has shown me the transformative power of dance and the challenges that often accompany it. Returning to MPA as a faculty member deepened my understanding of full-time dance training and inspired my commitment to nurturing holistic growth in dancers.
In 2012, I earned the Level 6 Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning (DDTAL), solidifying my expertise in dance education. From 2017 to 2020, I developed ground breaking qualifications at Swindon Dance, including the Level 6 Diploma in Dance Pedagogy and two Access to HE Diplomas, focusing on preparing young dancers for higher education while prioritising mental and physical well-being. My work emphasized compassionate teaching practices and the personal development of both students and educators.
For nearly 20 years, I’ve worked with Swindon Dance’s Centre for Advanced Training (CAT), now serving as Student Wellbeing Lead. My approach empowers dancers to move authentically, nurturing their voices and fostering confidence. My extensive community teaching experience, spanning from toddlers to older adults, complements this commitment to inclusivity and connection.
Beyond dance, I specialise in somatic practices, traditional Chinese medicine to gently process trauma stored in the body. Research underscores how trauma impacts us physically, and I create safe spaces for healing through education, deepening self awareness and movement. As an Aware Parenting instructor, I offer workshops and mentoring to help teachers, parents and families integrate healing practices into daily life.
Are you or your young people ready to set free from the stress and pressure of perfection and move to more flow and ease?
Reach out to discuss the best step forward and to explore the options of workshops or 121’s that will provide education, strategies and tool for you to thrive.
Training for teachers can be delivered to suit your needs.
The empirical research from the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study highlights the impact of childhood emotional experiences on health and developmental outcomes. Parent Child Connection (PCC) has been proven to minimise the impact of childhood traumatic experiences and support better outcomes.
In a survey from The Children & Young People's Mental Health Coalition they found, '81% of young people and 87% of parents and carers agreed that a young person’s behaviour is linked to their mental health.' and go on to say, 'we need to move beyond a place where behaviour is seen as problematic and something that needs to be managed, to a much more concerned and curious place about what the behaviour could be telling us.'
To meet these demands, I have created interactive staff training called Aware Leading that offers practical tools based on the latest research and understanding of child development thus supporting teachers to support their students. I seek to meet leaders, teachers, managers in the midst of the speed, intensity and expectations of modern life.
The training is designed to meet the needs of your school or organisation and can be delivered as a one off session or on going training throughout the year.
Below are some examples of areas that could be covered in a one off training session or a series of sessions.
Understanding how the body deals with stress & trauma and how to notice this in the class room / dance studio
3 reasons behind children's behaviour
The healing effects of laughter and play, foster cooperative children who listen
Learning how to respond in challenging situations
Promoting spaces for children to learn and grow
Exploring language in the class room and the use of praise
Bringing the body back into balance
Resourcing you the teacher & support staff including breathwork and inner child journeys
Attachment styles and how they may present within relationships
How to successfully navigate crying and tantrums for an emotionally healthy school or dance setting
Different types of teaching and practical tips to get the best out of the children using a democratic approach
Effective tools to support discipline
Using the 3-step technique to support challenging behaviour
The session(s) will offer insights into you as a person and also what is happening for the students, so you can respond to the situation in a way that meets both needs. All sessions include Q&A and I can provide practical tools and approaches to specific scenarios if provided in advance of the training.
Let’s work together
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly! I can't wait to hear from you!