A BOROUGH dance school founder says she is still reeling after winning a prestigious national award.
Sonia Brown who runs Dance with Sonia Brown (DWSB), received the One Dance UK’s People’s Choice Award at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Friday.
“I’m thrilled,” she said.
“The People’s Choice Award specifically is issued democratically on the highest number of public votes.
“For DWSB, as a small local independent business, we are absolutely thrilled to have received the nation’s vote and to have been declared winners of the People’s Choice Award.
“We’re still in a state of shock as this is our first ever award and we’re not sure we can go any bigger.
“Receiving the award means so much more than an acknowledgment of our hard work over the past six years.
“It means we’re putting the over 50s dance sector on the map, and giving it the recognition and exposure it deserves.”
Dance with Sonia Brown (DWSB), was established in 2019, and offers jazz, tap and ballet classes to adults in Earley, Reading, and West Berkshire.
It specialises in particular in over-50s classes, offering Silver Swans ballet, Low-Impact Jazz and Low-Impact Tap.
The group advocates that any body is a dance body, and that every person can benefit from the joy of moving to music.
Sonia is on a mission to beat ageism in dance and wider society, and recently expanded class offerings to include a new general-level Rebel Ballet and Theatre Jazz classes which aim to create a safe space for adults regardless of size, gender, or dance experience.
The One Dance UK Awards is the most prestigious national awards event for the dance sector and open to any industry professional associated with dance.
Choreographers, professional dance companies, charities, individual artists, and educators compete, with many of this year’s awards scooped up by large organisations.
“Our award would not have been possible without my fantastic and fabulous dancers,” said Sonia.
“They’ve created the atmosphere, energy and inclusivity present in our dance classes and made my job such a pleasure.
“Not only that, without their passion and hard work campaigning for votes on our behalf we would never have received this award of recognition.
“So a huge thank you to everyone for your support – we are one big family.”
