Sonia Sabri Company launch new South Asian dance after-school club in Leamington Spa
In November 2025, Sonia Sabri Company were delighted to launch a new South Asian Dance after-school club at St Margarets CE Junior School in Whitnash, Leamington Spa. At our weekly sessions, the pupils at St Margarets have been learning the basics of South Asian Dance, based on Kathak classical dance and South Asian folk dances – a fun and accessible way to enjoy dance and movement in a safe and understanding environment!
This programme has been made possible thanks to an Arts Project Grant awarded by Warwick District Council, enabling us to provide the sessions completely free of charge to both the school and its families until July 2026. The grants programme is designed to support and deliver high-quality, inclusive cultural activities that engage underrepresented communities, promote social, health, and wellbeing outcomes, and provide opportunities for participation and creativity.
Dance is an enjoyable and creative way of engaging with physical activity and shares the same physical benefits of sport and physical education, including improved gross-motor skills, coordination, balance and stamina. There are also many cognitive benefits of dance, including improved recall, memory skills and self-discipline.
Our games and group choreography will develop their teamwork, communication and spatial awareness skills. We will also explore storytelling using movement which will build on their creative thinking, interpretation and communication skills, as well as their expression and reflection. If that wasn’t enough, the club will also provide a fun way for the children to learn about South Asian culture and foster curiosity about the wider world!
The children work with our dance artist to create their own narrative dance performances using the skills they learn during the term. The participants will have the opportunity to present what they’ve achieved through performances to their parents and peers throughout the year.
We’ve had a great time already working with the pupils at St Margarets and they’ve had a great time too! Here’s what a few of the participants had to say:
“I love this dance group because when I share my ideas no one laughs and no one can say they’re bad because we’re all in a group together and if they share their ideas I can’t laugh. And I love it because I really love to dance and do it in a group”
“I find the club really exciting and it makes me feel really happy”
“I find the club cool. I love that you can tell a story about animals and the world. I felt nervous because I performed in front of a lot of people. I also felt excited because I thought I did good. I also felt good because everyone cheered on like crazy!”
We can’t wait to see their progress over the next few months!
If you’d like us to run an after-school dance or music club at your school, please get in touch via info@ssco.org.uk
