Throughout their journey, Glass House Dance has always been about more than just performances.
They are known for creating inclusive workshops and performances, especially for people living with dementia. Their outdoor performances, including Time Machine Disco and the Dance-alongs, have continued to delight audiences and have toured successfully for many years.
Glass House Dance continues to inspire, encourage, and engage audiences, always finding new ways to bring joy, connection, and creativity to life.
About
Laura McGill
Originally trained as a contemporary dancer, a passion for more human, joyful and holistic experiences took Sarah to specialise in community dance and participatory arts, with a special interest in clowning and swing dancing. She has worked in participation and engagement for dance companies Rambert, Richard Alston, English National Ballet, and Gecko and specialises in working with people with Parkinson’s and dementia through creative dance experiences. Sarah is also a coach, circle facilitator and yoga teacher.
Co-Director
Sarah Lewis
Originally trained as a contemporary dancer, a passion for more human, joyful and holistic experiences took Sarah to specialise in community dance and participatory arts, with a special interest in clowning and swing dancing. She has worked in participation and engagement for dance companies Rambert, Richard Alston, English National Ballet, and Gecko and specialises in working with people with Parkinson’s and dementia through creative dance experiences. Sarah is also a coach, circle facilitator and yoga teacher.
Co-Director
OUR VALUES & PRINCIPLES
Our Founders
OUR HISTORY
Joy
Community
Ambition
Sensitivity
OUR CORE VALUES
Glass House Dance welcomes people of all ages in an uplifting dance experience in unexpected places. Everyone matters and there is a way for everyone to engage with and through dance.
Artistic excellence in participatory dance
East Anglia as home
Bringing people together for a shared experience
Challenging expectation/ tradition/ social norms/ participation ‘structure’
OUR PRINCIPLES
Glass House Dance excels in participatory dance, rooted in East Anglia. We unite people through shared experiences, challenging expectations, traditions, and social norms to create an inclusive dance community.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Taking action in response to the climate and ecological crisis is deeply important to us, and something we are exploring more in terms of how to embed climate action through the essential lens of climate justice within our working processes and future themes of the work we hope to make.
We are committed to making our projects more ecologically conscious, and we strongly believe that working together, sharing learnings and aspirations is so important for embedding climate action within arts practice.
ACCESSIBILITY
We are committed to making our work accessible so everyone can enjoy our performances and workshops. We are working to accommodate access needs to the best of our ability within our productions. We have created a best practice checklist to ensure we are creating, showcasing and employing in the most accessible ways within our means and knowledge.
At our classes and workshops, you can expect:
-
Access to a quiet space or alternative work space
-
Inclusive, trauma-informed language
-
To be in studio’s with local transport and nearby parking options
-
Clear information about getting to our venue
Booking our shows, you can expect:
-
Links to images, copy and details about our shows
-
Content warnings
-
Invitational participation of audiences
You can also request:
-
A touch tour of our set
-
A chat about how we can make our show/event accessible to your needs
-
film/ audio recordings introducing our performers
When budget allows, we will also provide the following at any of our classes, events and shows:
-
SL interpretation
-
Language interpretation
-
Audio description
2014
Our Debut
Laura and Sarah started with a big dream: creating an outdoor, promenade, intergenerational dance production. It was a bold move for their first project together, but their shared vision and passion gave birth to Glass House Dance. With support from the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, they premiered their first show, You, Me & Everybody Else. The show was a hit and went on to be showcased at the Out There Festival in Great Yarmouth and the Devizes International Street Festival in 2015.
2015
Community Connections
Glass House Dance quickly established a strong connection to their local community. They became known for creating inclusive workshops and performances, particularly for people living with dementia. Working closely with Creative Arts East and Suffolk Artlink, they created A Little Bit of Light, a beautiful, interactive dance performance designed to be dementia-friendly. This piece combined music, dance, and participatory moments to create an enchanting and uplifting experience about the importance of things lost and found.
2016
Next Steps: Us
Building on the lessons from their first tour, Laura and Sarah began working on their next show, Us. They made exciting choreographic choices, blending contemporary dance with comedy and street performance. Always valuing the expertise and skill in traditional street theatre, particularly in holding and delighting audiences, they ensured to learn from the best.
2017
Literature Meets Dance
As their reputation grew, Glass House Dance was commissioned by The National Centre for Writing to create new works that brought literature to life through dance. This resulted in the captivating performance The Quiet.
2018
Expanding Horizons
Continuing their collaboration with The National Centre for Writing, Glass House Dance presented KumKum Malhotra, further cementing their ability to intertwine dance with literary narratives.
2020
Adapting in a Pandemic
In 2020, they planned to create a new indoor show exploring people's relationships with grief, commissioned by Norwich Theatre. However, when the pandemic hit, they had to change course. They ended up making a heartfelt film that combined interviews from their research with movement and animation, marking their first venture into creating multimedia performance.
2020
Supporting Artists in Tough Times
That same year, Glass House Dance launched Wild Wander, an artist development programme aimed at bringing artists together during tough times. This programme offered support, a chance to reflect on their practice, and a way to connect with nature. This programme inspired the creation of their podcast, where each artist shared their practice reflections.
_edited.jpg)
GLASS HOUSE DANCE
Glass House Dance was set up by Sarah Lewis and Laura Anderson to take contemporary dance into the heart of the community. They have made their mark on the outdoor arts scene, touring nationally for over 10 years. Glass House Dance welcomes people of all ages in an uplifting dance experience in unexpected places. Everyone matters and there is a way for everyone to engage with and through dance. Their reputation is built on creating uplifting participatory and interactive performances and events for people of all ages. In 2019, Glass House Dance received a Norfolk Arts Award for their contribution to dance. They are currently associate artists of DanceEast and Norwich Arts Centre.