Dance project for young people with autism spectrum
2015–2016
About
The Autism project was launched in early 2015 in collaboration with Zodiak - Centre for New Dance. Dance classes for young people with autism started in September 2015 under the guidance of choreographer Liisa Pent. A total of 12 young people with autism spectrum disorder participate in the dance classes. The dance classes will be held at the Cable Factory once a week until May 2016.
One of the aims of the project is to provide young people with opportunities for their own artistic expression. One of the final products of the project will be a short film directed by film director Sari Antikainen. A key element of the film's content is the different forms of communication used in the lessons. The project will culminate in a pre-screening of the film and a closing party on 1 April 2016 at Zodiak in Helsinki's Cable Factory.
Annina Lindeman from the Autism Foundation will act as assistant instructor and project expert for the dance lessons.
Project objectives
It is difficult for young people with autism to succeed in dance classes for healthy children and young people. There are very few opportunities for young people with autism to engage in dance activities, let alone to be active artists themselves. For people on the autism spectrum, group sizes should be small and the best results are achieved if young people can work with a dance instructor on an individual basis from time to time.
The aim of the project is to give young people on the autistic spectrum the opportunity to engage in dance and to find ways of self-expression and artistic expression through the art of dance. During the project, the aim is to further develop ways of teaching dance to young people with autism. The aim is to explore whether movement and touch can be used to find pathways into the world of autistic people and whether they, in turn, can find ways to communicate and act through movement.
Background to the project
Zodiak has worked with young people with autism through dance and movement at the Autism Foundation in 2007 and at Jokiniemi School in 2008 under the guidance of choreographer Liisa Pentti. The dance classes were meaningful for the young people who took part. The staff of the Autism Foundation and the teachers at Jokiniemi School reported that the dance sessions helped the young people to improve their general sense of wellbeing and their perception of the outside world. The young people were clearly motivated and the movements helped them to create their own images and to connect events and places. In addition, dancing helped them to develop their sense of posture and body perception, which almost all people with autism have difficulty with.
The project was supported by the City of Helsinki and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The project is carried out in cooperation with Zodiak - Centre for New Dance and the Autism Foundation, Autism and Asperger's Association.
Photo: Sari Antikainen
Production: Zodiak – Uuden tanssin keskus, tanssiryhmä Liisa Pentti +Co