Meet Jen

 I wanted to share a bit of a story, just like Jonny and the Nightshelter. I love reading stories of people who are doing things to change where they live for the better, Jen is one of those people. She is one of my really good friends here in London and has real passion for life and for fighting injustice. She is also from Liverpool and therefore has the best accent. I invited Jen to share a bit of her story and why she does what she does.

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If I said I had been dancing since I could walk, I’d be lying. An old home video would show you pretty quickly that I was never blessed with coordination. So at the age of 13 when I told my mum I wanted to start dancing I can’t imagine what she thought! After my first dance lesson I came home and started practising in my living room, with one clean swoop I had knocked over a glass of water, a vase and offset the TV. But I loved it! I began to spend more and more hours in the studio. I wasn’t as technically good as the other girls but I was keeping up. In time I made my way “to the front” and tried to hide my grin. I once visited Ailey studios in New York, it was breath-taking. As we danced the high glass windows looked out over the city, we were dancing on the rooftops and I remember thinking one day I would own my own studio. I watched the other dancers, their dances would make me well up with emotion, how could they do that?! How could I do that?! I would spend hours trying to imitate it perfectly. 

I soon came to the realisation that if dance is just about getting the moves right then I believe we have well and truly missed the point. I often come across people who say “I can’t dance”, but to dance is to connect with people, to tell a story and EVERYBODY has one of those. I remember when I told a teacher I wanted to do dance, “that’s not an academic subject” he said, “people won’t take you seriously”. I stormed out of his office. Then, the day before my A Level  dance exam I felt a pain in my foot but x-rays showed nothing. The doctors were baffled but all I knew was I couldn’t stand, hobbling out of the hospital on crutches, I broke down in tears, years of training lost. That teachers words rang loudly in my ear. 

Four years on and I am so glad I didn’t listen to a word he said!

God really had it all worked out. I’m now a youth worker in East London and I run a dance studio! It’s no Ailey studios, the windows don’t over look New York (in fact there aren’t any windows), the floor is a little creaky and there is a snooker table in the corner, but to me it’s perfect. To dance is to become vulnerable; it’s to say a thousand words without even opening your mouth. There’s something amazing about seeing a young person begin to express themselves through movement when in society they don’t even have a voice. I’ve allowed myself to dream; what if we could tackle more through our creativity, what if more young people share about injustice in a way the world can’t ignore! In a way that captures our attention, breaks our hearts and yells in the face of injustice. It’s time we started using our gifts and passions for changing this world we live in, for empowering the voiceless and sticking up for those who are suffering!

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Jen is truly living this and next year she is hoping to head to Brazil to work with a charity called Meninadanca, they work in an area of Brazil notorious for the exploitation of young girls. Their outreach is through dance and they help these girls to relearn how precious and valued they are. Have a read for yourself! 

Thank you so much Jen for sharing a bit of your heart. If you want to know more about her vision or to support her work get in touch HERE.

Have a great week all xx