YOUNG people in Carmarthenshire who are deaf will be able to experience the wellbeing benefits of dance with a special session.

Jones the Dance’s Quiet Beats will be at Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre on Sunday, December 3 to provide a free taster dance workshop for deaf young people.

The sessions, for young people aged between seven and 14, are aimed at those who are deaf and may not have been able to experience dance and movement due to the barriers often faced in traditional dance class settings.

It has expanded from piloted initiatives carried out through the covid pandemic by Jones the Dance which had the aim of keeping young dancers connected with professional dancers and choreographers during lockdown.

Amber Howells, a leading Welsh dance artist, will run the sessions and will be supported by BSL writer and performer Sarah Adedeji. The aim is to provide young deaf people with some of the best dance workshop opportunities available in Wales, with the hope of enticing budding dancers as there are not many developmeny opportunities available for them in Wales.

Jones the Dance often work with professional deaf dancers but find they have to go outside of Wales to find the dancers due to this and are hoping that this will begin to change through the dedicated arm of their Young Company.

Gwyn Emberton, Jones the Dance’s artistic director, said: “We hope that through these taster workshops young people may consider becoming members of our Young Company. We want to create opportunities for young d/Deaf people to be the dancers of tomorrow if they wish. We will support young people to reach their potential and gain the immense confidence that can be achieved through dance opportunities – in a supportive, creative, and fun environment.”

The taster sessions will be held at The Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on Sunday, December 3 at 2pm for seven to 11 year olds and 3.15pm for 11 to 14 year olds. The sessions are free thanks to funding from the National Grid but must be booked at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk or by emailing info_and_admin@jonesthedance.com.